May 09, 2025

In Response to Warren, Pentagon Reveals Pattern of Incompetence in Child Care Oversight

Text of DoD Response (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — In a response to U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) letter to the Department of Defense (DoD) demanding clarity on the department’s plans to address allegations of child abuse in its Child Development Centers (CDCs), DoD revealed a pattern of incompetence its oversight of child care services. 

In April 2024, Military.com reported the stories of nearly a dozen military families whose children were abused in CDCs and faced problems obtaining  any information from the day care system about the incidents. The initial investigation from Military.com found that military policy prioritizes protecting the institution and keeps information from parents while a public relations response is formulated.

Following the report, Senator Warren opened an investigation and called for transparent policies to prevent cases of abuse and misconduct, and ensure prompt reporting, thorough investigations, and appropriate actions, and for that information to be made available to lawmakers, the public, and parents.

In its response, DoD said it notifies parents and guardians of incidents involving their children “either verbally or in writing, with details of the incident.” However, some families were not notified of abuse incidents until more than three months after the fact, when it was too late to request footage of the incident, per the CDC’s policy of only keeping footage for one month. Two families even reported initially being told they’d have to pay as much as $15,000 for that footage. And DoD’s response to Sen. Warren indicated that in at least one case, the CDC director notified the parents after “[t]he parent of the child informed the CDC director of their concern.”

When families attempted to get clarity on the Army’s policies on mandatory reporting of sexual behavior to parents, they were denied and told those policies were classified. DoD’s response admitted those policies were not made public until after Military.com’s reporting. DoD also indicated that “There are no DoD-level civilian personnel policies specifically addressing disclosure of disciplinary action for any reason to another party (e.g., notifying parents as to whether disciplinary action has been taken against a child care provider related to an incident.).”

“This incompetence will be devastating for servicemembers and their families in the long-term. They should not have to worry about their kids’ safety while also working to keep our country safe,” said Senator Warren.  

One family, whose child came home with bruises after being pinched, shoved, smothered, and pushed up against a wall, discovered after reviewing footage that a photo of the child’s parents was shoved “into her face so hard that her little head had turned away a full 90 degrees as a second worker held her.” The family filed a request for an inspector general request to learn more about the incident. 

The Inspector General’s report confirmed that the Pentagon’s policies on suspected child abuse or neglect at CDCs lack “uniform requirements” for parental communication within each of the services.

“This report makes clear that it’s Secretary Hegseth’s job to fix this pattern of incompetence and ensure military families have access to high-quality, affordable child care. I won’t stop fighting for military families to get the answers and accountability they deserve,” said Senator Warren.

Senator Warren has long fought to ensure quality care and transparency for military servicemembers and their families: 

  • In April 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Senator Warren pushed back on attacks on the civilian workforce at DoD and highlighted the need to improve child care services for servicemembers and their families. 

  • In September 2024, U.S. Senators Warren and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), the chair and ranking member for the Senate Armed Services’ Personnel subcommittee, wrote to Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, urging the Department to increase child care staff pay to address staffing challenges and ensure military families have access to affordable, high-quality child care. 

  • In May 2024, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Senator Warren urged higher investment in military housing and child care.

  • In March 2024, Senators Warren, Kaine, and Representative Burgess (R-Texas) sent a letter to officials in the Department of Defense (DoD) and Defense Health Agency (DHA) expressing serious concern over DoD civilians and contractors continuing to face problems with access to medical care and its impacts on morale and retention. 

  • In January 2023, Senator Warren sent a letter to the DoD, raising concerns about the decision to stop providing care to civilians in the U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka and asking about the services being provided to help support the transition of care and when space to provide care to civilians might open up again.

  • In August 2022, Senator Warren and Representative Castro (D-Texas) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin raising concerns that the DoD may be misleading or misinforming civilians about debt they incur when they receive emergency medical care at military health care facilities, and calling for improved billing practices to protect patients.

  • The Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included Senator Warren's provision, based on the Financial Relief for Civilians Treated at Military Hospitals Act, to give DoD the authority to waive medical debt when the civilian is unable to pay the costs of the care provided and the care enhances the knowledge, skills, and abilities of military health care providers.

  • Senator Warren originally introduced the Financial Relief for Civilians Treated at Military Hospitals Act in June 2020 and reintroduced the legislation with Representative Castro (D-Texas) in December 2022.

  • In January 2020, Senator Warren sent a letter to DoD and the Treasury Department requesting information about the collection of military hospital debt from low-income, civilian patients.

 

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