Every year in the month of April there is a celebration honoring military children, called Month of the Military Child (MoMC). Do you want to show your support? It’s easy!
We’re giving you:
- “History of MoMC” and “What is Purple Up?” -show your awareness on your website or social media
- “Plug-and-Play” social media posts and images to brand with your Parent Center logo; hashtags too! (opens in a new page)
- How-tos: feature your awareness of and support for the military installations in your State
- Find events where your Parent Center can participate
Why Support MoMC? Your Parent Center’s support for MoMC or Purple Up activities encourages military families to come to you when they need help. They’ll know that you have made efforts to learn about and understand their needs, their world, and the barriers they may face.
History of Month of the Military Child: In 1986, Secretary of Defense Casper W. Weinberger decided to recognize the sacrifices made by children of military service members. He believed that military children are inspirational because of the way they respond to stressful situations, such as frequent moves and separated families during periods of deployment. Now, 32 years later we have a nationally recognized celebration, honoring the children of military service members.
What is Purple Up? It is a dedicated day in April, this year being the 13th, where everyone can celebrate military children by wearing the color purple. Why Purple? Purple has special meaning in the military; it is anything “Joint”, or where different U.S. branches of the military are working together for a common goal.
Feature your awareness of and support for the military installations in your State-SHARE specific information about your area’s military presence in your posts:
Get the information:
Open the Interactive Maps! Select your Region, open that map, and click on the small box in the upper left corner of the map. This opens a list of States in alphabetical order with a list of installations, remote programs, and example locations.
- Count the number of installations and entities in your State and SHARE “Did you know there are # of military installations and entities in New Hampshire?”
- Count the number of installations and entities per military branch and SHARE: “Did you know the US Navy has # of installations in our State?
- Click on an installation name to get contact information for the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) or School Liaison and SHARE: “Contact your (EFMP or SLO) at 123-456-7890 if you have questions regarding your military children or to find out about local events…because…”
-Share the information along with an image showing you support Month of the Military Child
–Or, use these “Plug-n-Play” post and tweet suggestions
Find events where your Parent Center can participate:
- Locate military-connected professionals with our Interactive Maps. Ask them if there are resource fairs, events through Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) or other activities your center can support.
- If you are a Parent Center outside the Top 12 Military-Impacted States, use the Maps tab on the homepage at branchta.org. Click on your Region’s Map, and get a drop-down of list of States by clicking on the small square icon on the upper left side of the screen. Scroll to find your State and click on the “more” link to open the full list of installations, example locations and remote programs.