Randolph CDC Waitlist: How to Get In, Cost & Off-Base Options

A family gets PCS orders to Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in March, with a July report date. They have a toddler and a 4-year-old, and both parents need child care soon after they arrive. What happens next depends largely on one step taken months earlier: submitting a request on MilitaryChildCare.com the same week the orders come through.

SchoolPath wrote this guide for military and Department of Defense families moving to or stationed at JBSA-Randolph, and for local parents in Universal City, Schertz, Cibolo and Converse sorting out care for children up to age 5.

It covers the Randolph Child Development Center, how the waitlist and priorities work, DoD fees by income, fee assistance for off-base care, free Texas pre-K for military children, Randolph Field ISD, Bezos Academy, and how to evaluate off-base daycare. If you are also choosing a school for an older child, see New to San Antonio: choosing a school before you move.

The short version

• Request care on MilitaryChildCare.com as soon as you know you are moving to JBSA-Randolph, and request every program type you would accept.
• Placement is based on DoD priority first, then the date you requested care.
• On-base fees are set by total family income, from $54 to $236 a week per child at the standard DoD rate for school year 2025-26.
• Children of active duty service members qualify for free public pre-K 4 in Texas, including in Judson, SCUC and other Northeast districts.
• If on-base care is not available, Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) can lower the cost of an approved off-base provider.

Child care programs at JBSA-Randolph

Military OneSource reports that JBSA child development programs are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). CDCs follow DoD standards for staff training, ratios and inspections.

Featured school

Randolph Child Development Program

• Grades: Ages 2–5
• Location: Bldg 1072, JBSA-Randolph
• Tuition: $54–$236/wk (DoD income scale)

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Family Child Care homes are run by certified providers, often military spouses, in on-base or nearby housing. They can offer smaller groups and more flexible hours than the CDC, and they count as on-base care for priority and fees.

A federal contract for a new Child Development Center at Randolph was awarded in April 2026. No opening date has been announced, so plan around current capacity.

How the waitlist works

1. Create an MCC household profile. Your sponsor's status and your spouse's employment or school status determine your priority level. Keep it accurate, since priority changes with your circumstances.
2. Request care as soon as you know your duty station. The date you submit is your Request for Care (RFC) date.
3. Placement follows priority, then RFC date. Priority 1 covers direct care staff at the program and service members in specific situations, such as single or dual military parents and military parents whose spouse is employed or in school. Priority 2 generally covers DoD civilians. Priority 3 is space-available care for other eligible families.
4. Watch your Anticipated Placement Time (APT). MCC shows an estimated time to placement, which is more useful than a numbered place in line.
5. Reconfirm on time. If you requested care more than 60 days before you need it, reconfirm about 45 days before your date care is needed. A missed reconfirmation can cancel your request.
6. Request more than one program type. Selecting the CDC, Family Child Care ("Any Provider") and MCCYN improves your chances.

A PCS tip many families miss. If your child is leaving care at another installation, ask that program to submit your new request with the RFC backdated to your child's original start date. This must be done within 30 days after care ends at the old installation, so ask before you leave.

What on-base care costs

DoD child care fees are set on a sliding scale by total family income, which includes both parents' earned income plus applicable allowances. Standard weekly fee per child for school year 2025-26, selected categories:

There are 12 categories in total, and installations can use market-adjusted rates of up to $245 a week. Ask JBSA-Randolph Child and Youth Programs which rate column applies this school year, and whether a multiple-child discount applies.

Featured school

Joint Base San Antonio Randolph Child Development Program Annex

• Grades: Infants & toddlers
• Location: Bldg 734, JBSA-Randolph
• Tuition: $54–$236/wk (DoD income scale)

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Fee assistance for off-base care

If on-base care is not available, or not available soon enough, Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) provides fee assistance so the cost of an approved, quality-rated off-base provider comes closer to what you would pay on base. You request MCCYN through the same MCC account. The provider must be approved for the program, and families pay their share directly to the provider.

If you find an off-base center you like, ask whether it already participates in MCCYN. If not, ask whether it would be willing to apply.

Free Texas pre-K for military children

Texas law gives children of active duty service members free public pre-K. The same applies to children of members who were injured, killed or missing in action while on active duty.

• Judson ISD (Converse, Live Oak and parts of Universal City) offers free full-day pre-K 4 to eligible children.
• SCUC ISD (Schertz, Cibolo and Universal City) offers free pre-K 4 to eligible children.
• Other districts across Texas follow the same criterion.

Bring military ID and orders to registration. Your child must be 4 by September 1 for pre-K 4. Judson ended Pre-K 3 in 2025, and SCUC's Pre-K 3 is full for 2026-27. Our Judson and SCUC pre-K guide has registration details.

Pre-K 4 SA. San Antonio's city program treats military dependents as eligible for free seats, but only in participating districts, and only for families living in the city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Judson and SCUC do not participate, so families zoned to those districts pay tuition. Verified military families get access to a December priority enrollment window. Active duty families who have trouble with the online application can email prek4saenrollment@sanantonio.gov.

Randolph Field ISD pre-K

Randolph Field ISD serves children who live on JBSA-Randolph and does not accept transfer students for pre-K. In 2022-23, RFISD offered half-day pre-K for on-base 4-year-olds who qualified under state criteria, including having an active duty parent. We did not find a 2026-27 pre-K page, so confirm the current schedule with RFISD. If you live off base, your child attends pre-K through your home district.

Featured school

Randolph Elementary School

• Grades: Pre-K–5th grade
• Location: JBSA-Randolph (on-base families)
• Tuition: Free (public)

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Bezos Academy as an off-base option

Bezos Academy Universal City, on the Northeast Lakeview College campus, is a few minutes from the base. It is tuition-free for 3- and 4-year-olds from households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is $132,000 a year for a family of four in 2026.

Admission is by lottery, typically with a spring deadline, and the day runs from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Check how allowances count toward household income, and plan for care after 3:30 p.m. Our Bezos Academy guide covers income limits and the lottery.

Choosing off-base daycare in Schertz, Cibolo, Converse and Universal City

SchoolPath does not rank individual child care providers. For any provider you are considering:

1. Check the license and inspection history on the Texas Health and Human Services child care search.
2. Ask about Texas Rising Star, the state's quality rating system.
3. Ask whether the provider participates in MCCYN, since that affects your cost.
4. Ask about ratios, teacher turnover and curriculum, and visit during the morning.
5. Compare the full cost, including registration, supply and meal fees, and closure days.
6. Confirm hours against duty schedules, since early PT and shift work can stretch beyond a typical center day.

For non-military families in the Randolph area

Many parents searching for daycare in Schertz, Cibolo, Converse or Universal City have no military connection. The on-base CDC is not open to them, but most of this guide still applies. If your child meets a Texas pre-K criterion, register for free pre-K 4 with Judson or SCUC ISD.

If your household earns up to 400% of the federal poverty level, enter the Bezos Academy lottery. Lower-income working families can ask Workforce Solutions Alamo about child care assistance and Head Start about openings. The Northeast suburbs have grown quickly, and newer centers will have shorter inspection histories, so ask more questions during your visit.

A PCS timeline for child care

Questions to ask JBSA-Randolph Child and Youth Programs

• What is my current Anticipated Placement Time for each program I requested?
• Which fee column applies this school year, and is there a multiple-child discount?
• Is hourly or part-day care available while I wait for full-time placement?
• Are there Family Child Care homes with openings for my child's age?
• How are children with special needs or an IEP supported?

Frequently asked questions

Settle in faster with SchoolPath

A PCS move is stressful enough without a child care scramble. Request care the week your orders arrive, list every program type you would accept, and reconfirm on time. Then build a backup plan. SchoolPath is a free school discovery platform for San Antonio-area families.

Tell SchoolPath about your child and your priorities, such as location near base, hours and cost, and see pre-K, preschool and school options that fit. When you are ready, connect with the schools directly. SchoolPath can also help when it is time to look at elementary schools after pre-K.