Great Links You Can Use

Department of State (Children's Issues)Children and Deployment: Keeping in TouchIt is vital for your children to stay in touch with loved ones during a deployment. Time away from a deployed dad or a deployed mom feels endless to a child. Easing the wait and making the most of an absence means making little ones (and big ones, too) a part of the cycle. Open the door to your child's creativity and sensitivity, and they might come up with something great

The Deployment Roller Coaster: Emotions of ChildrenThere are 7 emotional stages adults usually experience during a deployment but, its harder to determine how children feel and what they are afraid of when a parent is deployed. We can help children prepare for the deployment, but in the end, we must often live in the moment with themParents, Kids, and Deployments: Ways to CommunicateIt takes effort and creativity, but it is possible to maintain a connection between children and deployed parents. Communication between parent and child is critical. For kids, the knowledge that they are loved and important by the deployed pa! rent can transcend oceans.

What Does My Daddy Do? Military Parents in the Work PlaceFrom a kid's point of view, a parent's military job may be a little fuzzy. Explaining to your kids what you do, especially during deployments, shortens the distance between you. Parents with potentially dangerous assignments have the extra burden of easing fears.

Supporting Children During Stressful TimesA Collection of Informative Website Links put together by Marine Corps Community Services to help parents and caregivers support children during difficult times.

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Crisis Management Tool KitThis tool kit includes guidance and resources on how to deal with fear, anxiety, and stress for both children and adults, and it offers sound advice for helping children cope with crisis and grief.

Caring for Kids After Trauma and Death: A Guide for Parents and ProfessionalsInformation and resources on how to help children deal with trauma. The link is for a .pdf file.

VA Kids - Helps kids learn about being a VetThe Department of Veterans Affairs designed this site to help kids understand what it means to be a Vet.

The American Legion: A Cash Grant in a PinchThe American Legion’s Temporary Financial Assistance (TFA) program is available to help meet the basic needs of the minor children of men and women currently serving on active duty. In order to maintain a stable home environment for the child or children, non-repayable grants may be awarded to help families in financial need meet the cost of shelter, utilities, food, and medical expenses.

Military Childcare in your NeighborhoodMilitary Child Care in Your Neighborhood is a Department of Defense program designed to meet the child care needs of Service Members living in areas where on-base military child care is not available. In the past, these families bore the full cost of their child care. Now with Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood, many of them will be eligible to pay reduced fees for the care of their children.

Military Teens on the Move (MTOM) and MTOM for Kids"Life's an adventure," according to MTOM, and this site is full of tips to help military youth get the most from it. Helping kids and teens cope with relocation, the site offers practical information about installations, communities, and schools, along with ways to weather the pre- and post-move adjustment period.