European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 8, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday augusts 1990 the stars and stripes Page 3 members to get Lump sum it payments to ease costs by Chuck Vinci Washington Bureau Washington a Scricc members will get Lump sum upfront payments to cover initial costs of moving into overseas rental housing under a new defense department program. The move in housing allowance which takes effect for leases signed after sept. I will let Scricc members avoid Large out of pocket expenses for rental agencies and such basics As lights and Kitchen sinks said Dennis Pike of the defense department per diem travel and transportation allowance committee. Military personnel already Are reimbursed for move in expenses but not Agency fees. However the payments arc made monthly Over the course of a multiyear foreign tour. The House armed services committee which pushed through the allowance change was concerned about the Strain on military family budgets that the upfront expenses could cause even though personnel eventually were reimbursed for those costs. A funds arc usually tight anyway during a reassignment a said a committee staffer. A you mix in these move in expenses and a lot of people end up hurting. We were also concerned about cases where overseas Tours arc Cut Short and the members never fully recoup their initial  a the Miha a Pari of the overseas housing allowance is meant to cover three general kinds of expenses Pike said. A the first is what we Call Miha mis payments for move in expenses in Europe Belgium $867 West Germany $494 Greece $525 Luxembourg $1,428 Netherlands $544 Norway $578 Portugal $442 Spain $485 Turkey $300 United kingdom $335 payment for Italy has not been determined yet. The amounts on the Chart May be different when the program goes into effect sept. 1 because they Are tied to currency Exchange rates  source department of defense Cal Tancous a Pike said. A it s for the kinds of costs people incur to make a dwelling habitable. It will cover things that you done to find at overseas locations that Are typically found in . Rental  the payment will be based on average costs for each foreign country and will cover such items As lights closets major Kitchen appliances washers and dryers and fixtures such As sinks he said. The payment which typically will total several Hundred dollars May seem like a Windfall for Scricc members at locations where Large appliances and closets Are available through military Supply channels. 5&s Susan Harris but Pike said  at those locations always have been reimbursed for the Cost of those items even if they obtained them free from the military. A a it a just that the payments Werc made monthly rather than up front All at once a he said. The second portion of the program is Miha rent designed to cover one time expenses that  incur just to sign a tease such As a finders fee of one or two months rent. That payment will be reimbursed Dollar for Dollar up to a limit of whatever is customary for a Given area As determined by local military officials Pike said Quot its pretty  he said. A if it s typical in a particular area for a one month rental charge that a what will be covered. We strongly recommend that service members Check with their local housing offices on typical reimbursements for their area before they go looking for housing.�?�. The program guidelines give other discretionary Powers to local sum sing offices 1 for example if housing officials ree commend an acceptable dwelling that is available without a fee but the service member chooses to rent through a real estate agent who charges a two month fee the housing office May disallow any reimbursement. Pike acknowledged that defense department officials expect some problems with local decisions Oil reimbursements As the program begins. A but we re More concerned about whether local commanders can discourage landlords and real estate agents from assessing fees just because the g1 now has the ability to recover the costs for those fees up  he said. The final component of the program is Miha Security in allowance for serv. Dec members in areas determined by the slate department to be High risk terrorist threat areas. European count locations currently on the list Are Ankara and Istanbul Turkey Athens Greece and Madrid Spain a service members living Elf base in those locations will he reimbursed Lof the actual Cost of Security upgrades such As reinforced doors window bars and alarm  complaining Asaf adopts new child care rates by Deedee Arrington Doke Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a West Germany a air Force sgt. Robert Miculinic started pocketing some extra Cash this week thanks to the new child care fees he a paying. The change Means that the single Parent can save about $36 a month under the new system which bases fees on a family a combined income. A a it helps quite a bit a said Miculinic a single Parent As he escorted his 3 year old daughter Caitlin to the Ramstein child development Center on tuesday morning. Like Miculinic staff sgt. Neena Cusick was All smiles As she considered the new fees effect on her budget. Quot for me its going to work out great Quot Cusick said. A i m going to save about $50 a month Quot the new system which took effect monday at . Air forces Europe bases charges parents from $31 to $74 per week per child. Base commanders set the fees within $10 ranges for each of four income categories. The fee ranges Are. A up to $27,000 a $31 to $41 a Frt m $27,001 to $42,000 a $42 to $52 a from $42,001 to $59,6 10 a $53 to $63 a from $59,001 and More a $64 to $74 a the army has until oct. 1 to implement the new system. Designed to make child care More affordable for lower income patrons it also will generate Money to pay higher salaries and training costs for the centers caregivers. The revamped fee Structure and salary increases were among the results of the military a Hild care act of 1989 that Congress approved last november. Not everyone saves Money. Some pay As Little As $2 More per week. But child care expenses will take bigger bites out of some households budgets under the new system about 220 children receive full time care at Ramstein a child development Center. As of Friday. 23 percent of the centers patrons fell into the new Scales lowest fee category. Twenty eight percent were in the second category. 9 percent in the third and 40 percent in the highest fee bracket. Maj. Danny Monceret and his Active duty wife now pay about $ 100 More per month for their daughter Lindsey scare than they did. But the major said he thought he should pay More than an airman with less income. Quot nobody likes to pay More Lor anything a id be a fool if 1 said 1 did a but i think its fair and overdue a said Monceret who is assigned to the 86ih tac fighter Wing also overdue patrons agreed was the salary increase that caregivers received june 1 when entry level pay went up from $4.65 per hour to $5.70. Caregivers Are paid with Nori appropriated funds. �?�1 think they deserve More Money. I could not Pul up with what they put up with a said master sgt. Pamela j. Estrela of the 1856th computer support grou p. A they deserve a lot More Titan what they he getting. They do a lot Tor kids. Maybe some of the real Good ones will stay around now a said Miculinic who is assigned to the 7103rd Field printing so. The pay increases and stepped up training costs have added about $60,000 per month since june i to Ramstein a morale welfare and recreation expenses said Jerry Cardinal the bases mar chief. A it Hurt us for a couple of months but Well recover a Cardinal said. U5aff has distributed $1.25 million among its bases to help cover non appropriated fund administrative costs As a Means of helping mar operations Over the sudden financial bump. R \. I y,.lj , Ala. Maj. Danny Munci rtt and Dau Glicr Lindsey