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86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs The Ramstein Child and Youth Programs hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Jan. 20 to celebrate the opening of the infant care facility rooms, with an additional room as part of an expansion to increase care availability for the Kaiserslautern Military Community.
The reopening follows six months of coordination, planning and teamwork across the installation. Collaboration amongst the CDC, 86th Force Support Squadron, first sergeants and human resources all worked together to rehabilitate infant rooms alongside rebuilding staffing.
“It took a village to get that done, from our command team, human resource team, to even our manager’s flight level to ensure that we could take care of those children,” said Sara Thompson, 86th FSS family child care and child development center program manager.
The Ramstein facility centralized the infant rooms to one location and increased from two rooms to three. The expanded space allows the child and youth programs team to increase care availability while maintaining safety standards and staffing ratios.
During the childcare facility closure, Amber Shaw, the Ramstein CDC civilian director, said the pause created an opportunity for reflection, improvement and renewed focus on improving the workplace culture for their staff. Looking through the lens with a fresh set of eyes helped hone in on boosting morale within the staff through fun activities and renewed appreciation for their work.
“We focused on support and caregiving for our employees,” Shaw said. “Our jobs are demanding, but our caregivers love what they do, and that passion shows in the care they provide to children and families.”
Child and youth programs provide care for children ranging six weeks to 18-years-old, supporting parents whose schedules demand reliability and consistency. By rehabilitating the facility, child and youth programs aim to ensure Airmen and their families can report to duty knowing their children are in a safe and supportive environment.
For leaders, the milestone represents more than a building reopening, it reflects the strength of the Ramstein community.
“Our mission is to provide high quality childcare to as many families as possible,” Shaw said. “This reopening shows that when we work together, we can continue to build programs that support both families and readiness.”
For community members looking for childcare across the KMC information can be found at http://www.86fss.com/child-development-centers/ or call +06371-47-6011.
