When Soldiers set out to accomplish a mission, it's important they have a clear head and are ready to focus on the job at hand. The last thing Soldiers should have to worry about is the care being provided to their children.

The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies released a report in March entitled "We Can Do Better: 2009 Update," which is NACCRRA's ranking of state child care center regulations and oversight.

According to the report, the Department of Defense child care centers were rated number one – receiving the highest ranking for both regulation and oversight.

"The big difference between the state child care centers and our own are the standards we are held to when compared to others," explained Mary Ellen Pratt, the chief of Army Child Development Programs. "Not only do we have comprehensive standards, but they are enforced."

One example of how DoD's standards are differ from various state's standards is the state of California has one unannounced inspection per five years, while the DoD has four unannounced inspections per year, Pratt, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., said.

It's standards like those that help Soldiers complete their daily operations without worrying about their children's welfare.

"Soldiers have surprise inspections to ensure they are always prepared," said Staff Sgt. Bryan Kosling, Special Warfare Medical Group (Airborne) and parent of two children who attend DoD child care facilities. "Those inspections are just like the child care facilities, they are there to make sure everyone is ready for their mission even if the mission is taking care of children."

However, without the strong infrastructure the DoD has established, the inspections would be insufficient.

"We have four pillars that we base our infrastructure on: the availability of child care spaces, affordability to both Soldier and the Army, quality of program and accountability," Pratt said.

Of course every organization is faced with its challenges.

For instance, state child care facilities have one set of state rules to follow, where the DoD has to deal with the laws of multiple states and countries. That's why there's one set of Army child care standards – to ensure consistency and predictability at all the different locations worldwide, Pratt said.

Another obstacle for DoD child care centers is the need for more child care capacity in their facilities.

Through the expansion of child care programs, primarily in the construction of new facilities, the Army is hoping to be providing 80 percent of the child care demand by next year, Pratt explained.

Nevertheless, despite the challenges the DoD encounters they have managed to stay in the top ten in both regulations and oversight over the last two years.

"Knowing my children are safe and well taken care of makes doing my job as a Soldier a lot easier," Kosling, a native of Philadelphia, said.