Alex is a young man who considers himself a “military brat”; he grew up in an Air Force family. He’s also one of the Branch’s military-connected consultants who help us with research, writing, and their lived experiences in the military community. Alex is an individual living with a disability which did not significantly affect his education.
Here is Alex’s education journey:
Continue reading “Alex’s Education Journey: Reflections & Tips by a Military Connected Youth with Disabilities”A college education can be extremely expensive, and debt from student loans can impact students and their families for years. Military parents may have financial challenges paying for college as military salaries and benefits don’t always stretch to cover today’s higher education costs. Earning scholarships is an excellent way to lower future monthly payments; some scholarship awards completely cover annual college expenses!
Below are two resources: scholarships for military-connected youth, and scholarships for youth with disabilities. The lists include awards for two- and four-year undergraduate degrees, graduate studies and vocational programs. All scholarships are national in scope; a few are international. Youth and their families may find scholarships that fit their needs or inspiration for a further search. Parent centers: feel free to select and share the most relevant scholarships for the families you serve. These lists are great for youth outreach, email campaigns, social media, workshops, support groups, resource fairs and newsletters.
The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included.
Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state.
Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska North Dakota Ohio South Dakota Wisconsin West Virginia Wyoming
The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included.
Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state.
Arizona Alaska California Colorado Hawaii Idaho New Mexico Nevada Oregon PACIFIC BASIN Utah Washington
The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included.
Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state.
Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas
Military parents whose children have disabilities may have concerns about moving their child from a stateside school (public or Department of Defense) to a school in another country where their school options are limited and laws protecting individuals with disabilities are not the same. Here are two quick resources for these parents to give them a jump-start on their research and decision-making:
Military Children Transitioning into the DoDEA School System (podcast from the Military Child Education Coalition, with Dr. Dell W. McMullen, Europe Director for Student Excellence, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)
Department of Defense Directory on Early Intervention, Special Education and Related Services in OCONUS Communities (“OCONUS” – Outside the Continental United States)
And here is some more in-depth information about Department of Defense Education Activity schools and Special Education:
Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) School System
It’s fairly common for military-connected children to stay with other family members or family friends when their parent’s military duties take them away for extended periods. Parents will try to anticipate what the caregiver will need but life has a way of inserting the unexpected. Parent centers can use these resources to help:
Your parent center uses culturally-appropriate outreach on a regular basis to engage parents and youth in underserved communities. Military life creates a unique culture for service members and their families-a culture just as distinct as that of an ethnic or linguistic community. We hope this resource with tips from military family members helps you in your outreach and services to military families.
Continue reading “Outreach Tips-Military Families and Their Unique Culture”
Military families with whom you are working or who contact your parent center might find the resources in this article very helpful. Included in this article is a link to a parent-friendly handout with the same resources. Resources focus on national-level services available in every state. There are also resource-finders for some of the most common military family needs, especially as they are entering or leaving a community. Some are military-specific while others are open to civilian and military alike. Read online, or download the article and parent handout.
Continue reading “16 Financial Resources for Military Families-with Handout”
Does your parent center need volunteers to expand and continue your work?
Military family members are super-volunteers!
According to the results of the 2017 Military Lifestyle Survey, military spouses place high value on their civic responsibility. 78% of those respondents volunteer in their civilian communities. The military strongly encourages service members to volunteer, and military children and teens are active volunteers as well. Find out how to tap into this volunteer-strong community.
Continue reading “Meet Your New Super-Volunteers-Military Families!”