Following the Navy’s announcement that its Family Child Care Program will expand to include off-base providers on Guam, Senator Jesse Lujan, chairperson of the Legislature’s Committee on Federal and Foreign Affairs, is calling for a comprehensive child care market impact study.

Lujan formally asking Joint Region Marianas to work with the Government of Guam and the University of Guam to ensure the expansion doesn’t drive up childcare costs or reduce access for local families.

In a letter, Lujan outlines five key requests, including a formal briefing to lawmakers on how the expanded FCC program will be implemented, as well as the data and market analyses used to assess potential impacts on childcare capacity, civilian access, and pricing.

On the matter, Lujan says, “Our servicemembers are part of our community, and we want them to have the support they need. At the same time, Guam’s civilian families, teachers, nurses, small business owners, public servants, are just as essential to our island’s future. We have to make sure that policy decisions, even well-intended ones, don’t un iintentionally price them out of access to quality child care.”