This civilian group, formed in 2003, helps families with various problems that arise during deployments and mobilizations, with a focus on helping families through short-term financial crunches. They have a program, for example, that can help families avoid losing their homes because of financial difficulties related to deployments.Contact: (800) 773-0387; http://www.usacares.us.
Nearly 1 million military children attend public school in districts operated by local educational agencies. School officials increasingly are working to make the transition easier for military children when they move from one school to another because a military parent changes duty stations.
Groups such as the Military Child Education Coalition and the Military Impacted Schools Association have been working with schools on a variety of issues related to military children. Defense officials also have begun working with school districts that want to learn more about helping military children in transition and in dealing with aspects of the military lifestyle.
Some schools operated by local public school districts are physically located on military installations; but the Defense Department also operates schools on some military bases.
Schools for children of service members and Defense Department civilians are located on a number of installations. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) oversees these facilities, grouping them into two systems: the stateside Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) and the overseas Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS). All schools within DoDEA are fully accredited by U.S. accreditation agencies.
Domestic schools. The Defense Department operates 64 DDESS schools, mostly elementary, at 17 installations in seven states, Puerto Rico and Cuba, with more than 2,300 education professionals serving about 26,000 students, according to November 2007 DoDEA statistics. The schools offer pre-kindergarten through 12th grade for eligible children who live on posts or bases.
Overseas schools. DoDDS-Europe operates 90 schools in five districts — Bavaria, Heidelberg, Isles, Kaiserslautern and Mediterranean — and serves about 38,000 school-age children of active-duty military and federal civilian employees.
DoDDS-Pacific serves more than 23,000 students enrolled in 45 schools across Japan, South Korea, Okinawa and Guam.
DoDDS is free for children of service members and federal civilian employees. Enrollment is guaranteed for “command-sponsored” children, those for whom the active-duty member has official approval to bring family members overseas at government expense. Children without command sponsorship can enroll for free if space is available. Nonmilitary children also can enroll if space is available, but they must pay tuition.
All DoDDS high schools are accredited by the North Central Accreditation Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. DDESS high schools are undergoing a phased accreditation by the NCA-CASI.
Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, the DoDEA high school graduation requirement is 26 credits for students, up from 24.
Special education programs. DoDEA provides free education to all students with disabilities who are entitled to enroll in the military’s overseas and stateside schools. The school system serves children with mild to severe disabilities. Programs are offered for children with learning, physical, communication or emotional impairments.
Preschool services are provided for disabled children as young as 3. Active-duty members must enroll children with disabilities in the Exceptional Family Member Program, which helps ensure the child’s educational and medical needs can be met.
All the services have the Exceptional Family Member Program, but they’re organized differently. The Army and Marine Corps have EFMP advocates in installation family centers, while the Navy and Air Force have EFMP programs and special-needs coordinators in their medical treatment facilities.
Contact: Department of Defense Education Activity, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1635. Overseas schools, (703) 588-3051; Special education office, (703) 588-3148; http://www.dodea.edu
MilitaryStudent.org. The vast majority of military children attend civilian schools, and many make a transition every few years to another school when their military parent transfers to a new duty location. The Defense Department Web site http://www.militarystudent.org is designed for students, parents, educators and military officials, with information to help all those involved make the transition easier for the student, whether the child attends schools operated by the Defense Department or public school districts.
Military Child Education Coalition. Parents, students and educators can find a wealth of information about specific state requirements and other military children’s education issues at this group’s Web site, http://www.militarychild.org.
The MCEC looks at everything that affects education or other opportunities for military children from birth through post-secondary school — from emotional challenges related to school transitions or the deployment of a parent, to differences in state policies that make it difficult to transfer from one school to another.
All the military services, along with many school districts that educate large numbers of military children, participate in the coalition. The MCEC’s focus on partnerships encourages such flexible practices as helping a student meet graduation requirements when transferring late in a high school career.
MCEC’s SchoolQuest, at http://www .SchoolQuest.org, is an online tool for families on the move who want to learn about future schools that may fit the needs of their children. It asks questions about relocation plans and each school-aged child’s educational needs, then sorts through a database compiled by a team of researchers to present resources, contact information and transition advice about the school districts and schools that serve the selected military community.
SAT/ACT preparatory programs. Military families can get a free SAT or ACT preparatory program through a donation by professional football players who are part of the Victory Sports Group. Visit http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil; click on “Free SAT/ACT Prep Materials.”
Service members can get free legal advice for a variety of needs, particularly in preparing tax returns and in understanding any contract before signing it, from car loans to rental leases.
All service branches designate lawyers to help active-duty members and, if time and resources permit, their families and retirees. Members assigned to installations too small to provide legal services can use those of any nearby installation.
Legal assistance attorneys do not represent clients facing military or civilian criminal charges, or provide assistance to clients on matters relating to private business ventures.
Attorneys are governed by a strict code of professional ethics that obligates them to keep information provided by a client confidential.
Contact: To find the nearest office, see http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/content/locator.php.
Installation legal assistance offices can help service members and their families with a wide variety of legal issues — free of charge. To find office closest to you, go online to http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/content/locator.php.
The United Service Organizations operates more than 130 centers worldwide offering hospitality in commercial and military airports, on military bases and at Navy fleet centers.Contact: http://www.uso.org. Information can be found at military family support centers, or call USO World Headquarters, Washington, D.C., at (703) 908-6400, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.
Armed Forces Emergency Services of the American Red Cross provides a vital link to home for those serving in remote areas. Emergency messages can be initiated by service members or their families for quick relay by the Red Cross to almost any community or military installation, even to ships at sea. Some local Red Cross chapters may be able to provide links to assistance for families, including parents of service members, and others who may not live near a military installation.Contact: (877) 272-7337; http://www.redcross.org.
This network, with 26 chapters nationwide, offers help with day-to-day issues for families of deployed troops. Services include food needs; critical car, home and appliance repair; refurbishing computers; moving and transportation; and furniture needs.Contact: Go to http://www.operationhomefront.net for links to local chapters and phone numbers.
Defense and service officials aim to help troops and families adjust to being uprooted every few years to move to a new community. Many spiritual, legal, financial, employment and other resources are available to help military personnel and their families round out their lives.
Military chaplains are clergy, endorsed by national religious groups, who are qualified to serve as officers on active duty.
Chaplains can perform the same services as civilian ministers — baptisms, weddings, bar mitzvahs — but they also often deploy with the troops. They conduct religious services, offer instruction and counseling, and minister to those of other faiths as well.
As senior members of the commander’s staff, chaplains influence nonspiritual matters affecting morale and welfare, morals, ethics and quality of life. They are obligated to hold in confidence any disclosures service members and their families make in counseling.
The Defense Department Child Development Program is the largest employer-sponsored child care program in the country, serving some 200,000 children from newborn to age 12. It includes child development centers, family child care homes and school-age care programs on and off installations.
The Defense Department and services are working to expand existing facilities at locations with long waiting lists and high deployment rates.
In support of the war effort, the services have extended hours of operation and, in some cases, paid for extra child care for members who work extended hours, have shifts changes or have child care emergencies.
Each center must meet standards for curriculum, safety and health.
Fees are calculated on a sliding scale based on total family income. The Defense Department sets a minimum and maximum fee range, and individual installations can set their fees anywhere within those ranges.
For the current school year, families in the lowest annual income category, up to $28,000, pay $43 to $62 a week, regardless of the child’s age. The highest range, for those with total family income of $70,001 or more, is $107 to $129 a week.
Programs usually include physical fitness and sports; arts; recreation; training in leadership, life skills and career/volunteer opportunities; mentoring, intervention and support services. Some programs offer help in finding summer jobs.
Fees are charged to offset the cost of activities.
Private military relief societies can help service members solve emergency financial problems.
There are four private, nonprofit societies: Army Emergency Relief, Air Force Aid Society, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance. Each has local representatives on military installations, usually in family centers, and operates under different policies and procedures.
They offer education assistance programs for spouses and children and can help service members and families with debt management.
The societies rely solely on donations for their support and do not charge for their services.
Anyone seeking aid should bring a military ID, leave papers, leave and earnings statement, and other information or documents that show an emergency financial need. Some aid comes through direct grants, but most is in the form of interest-free loans.
Typical clients include active-duty members and family members. Retirees and their families facing short-term financial problems may qualify for assistance, as well as surviving spouses of active-duty and retired service personnel.
Contact: Army Emergency Relief, http://www.aerhq.org; Air Force Aid Society, http://www.afas.org; Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, http://www.nmcrs.org; Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, http://www.cgmahq.org.
Defense officials have embarked on a financial readiness campaign in an effort to educate service members and family members about wise financial decisions that can help them build wealth. Part of that campaign is the Military Saves Web site, http://www.militarysaves.org, which features tips on getting out of debt, saving for emergencies, saving for a car and other milestones.
The NASD Investor Education Foundation also has a military education campaign, aimed at helping service members make wise investment decisions. Among their offerings are a Web site, http://www.saveandinvest.org, which offers information and tips. The Web site lists their upcoming free financial education forums held throughout the year at military installations, with information about how to register. In 2007, the foundation is expanding its education program to provide some programs specifically tailored to military spouses and injured or wounded service members.
The Armed Services YMCA is a social services agency with branches and affiliates at many major installations in the U.S. Most services are offered free or for a nominal fee with a valid military identification card.Recreational, educational, social and religious programs include child care, mentoring, computer learning centers for children, single service members’ centers, hospital assistance, transportation, adult classes, aerobics and classes in English as a second language.
Contact: http://www.asymca.org.