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Resources for Military Families

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Overview

There are numerous organizations throughout the nation and world founded on the mission of supporting military families. Below is a sample of some of the organizations offering resources to military families. Please note, these resources are shared for informational purposes only, and do not imply VDOE endorsement.

  • PEATC – The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) supports Virginia’s military families and the professionals who serve them by providing Virginia-specific information on special education and state disability services. Assistance is provided through individual consults, workshops and webinars, and statewide training. PEATC’s dedicated military outreach program partners with the VDOE to reach families stationed at all of the military installations in Virginia. PEATC’s services to families are free and confidential.
  • MilitaryOneSource – Military OneSource is a free service provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) to active duty Guard and Reserve service members and their families with comprehensive information on every aspect of military life including deployment, reunion, relationships, grief, spouse employment and education, parenting and child care, and much more.  For videos, articles, and more geared to military kids and teens please visit Military Youth on the Move.
  • Tutor.com for Military – Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, is a program that provides on-demand, online tutoring and homework help at no cost to active duty service members and their eligible dependents. With live, expert tutors available 24/7, military-connected students can receive academic help at their moment of need—anywhere they have an internet connection.
  • Blue Star Families Association – Blue Star Families was founded by military spouses in 2009 to empower families to thrive as they serve by connecting them with their civilian neighbors - people and organizations - to create strong communities of support. The goal of Blue Star Families’ research and policy work is to increase the awareness and understanding of military family life trends and the ramifications for both our Armed Forces and our American society. Through this work, they are inspiring meaningful engagement between military and civilian neighbors in our communities. They are accomplishing this through individual research projects, policy analysis, and the seminal Comprehensive Report from the annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey.
  • Month of the Military Child – While April has been designated as the “Month of the Military Child,” schools are encouraged to take time throughout the year to recognize the nation’s military servicemen and servicewomen, their families, and their children. See possible activities, download materials, and read why the Month of the Military Child was designated.
  • Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) – The Interstate Commission was developed to establish a uniform standard that eases the state-to-state transition of military personnel, their spouses, and primarily their children as these children transfer from one state to another and from one school system to another as a direct result of the military parent's frequent reassignments. The MIC3 website offers numerous resources related to the Interstate Compact including one page reference documents and training modules.
  • DoDEA Educational Partnership – DoDEA's Educational Partnership provides outreach to the schools that serve military-connected children to support academic achievement and positive educational opportunities and outcomes for military children. Through a variety of outreach initiatives, such as working collaboratively with the U.S. Department of Education, managing a robust grant program, and providing training and development opportunities, the DoDEA Educational Partnership champions quality educational opportunities for all military children.
  • Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) – MCEC's mission is to ensure inclusive, quality educational experiences for all military children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition. MCEC offers numerous resources for parents, information about leadership camps and scholarships, and extensive training for educators about the needs of military-connected students.
  • National Military Family Association – Founded 43 years ago, the National Military Family Association is a non-profit organization focusing on issues important to military families, such as comprehensive child care, accessible health care, spouse employment options, great schools, caring communities, a secure retirement, and support for widows and widowers.
  • Military State Policy Source – This site seeks to engage and educate state policymakers, not-for-profit associations, concerned business interests, and other state leaders about the needs of military members and their families.  
  • Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA) –MISA is a national organization of school superintendents that serve school districts with a high concentration of military children.
  • F.O.C.U.S. (Families Over Coming Under Stress) - Grounded in decades of research on family resilience and prevention programs, FOCUS was adapted for military families by a team from UCLA and Harvard Medical School. Since 2008, FOCUS Program has provided state-of-the-art family resilience services to military families, children, and couples.  FOCUS is now located at designated Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force installations, and is offered to all military families, including Special Operations Command, through the Department of Defense Office of Military Community & Family Policy. Please visit this site to search for FOCUS programs available at military installations in Virginia.
  • Partners in Promise – Partners in Promise is a non-for-profit organization run by military-connected parents. This organization is leading the way in shaping the conversation about supporting military-connected students who receive special education services. The site is a great resource for those who want to know more about the P.R.O.M.I.S.E Act or simply connect to others who know the challenges of raising special needs students in the military culture.