Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
CSTS | Department of Psychiatry | Uniformed Services University | 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799 | www.CSTSonline.org

Strengthening Military Families toSupport Children’s Well-Being
Children grow and thrive in loving and safe homes.
The challenges military families face while serving thenation can interfere with parents’ ability to provide for thechanging and complex needs of their children. The frequentmoves of military families can disrupt the families’ supportand child care networks. Frequent moves also make itchallenging for spouses of service members to maintainstable employment, which may impact their ability to pay
for their children’s care and needs. Family separations
associated with deployments place a burden on the nondeployed parent to provide adequate child supervision andto meet children’s physical needs. When service members
experience injury or illness, military families can bevulnerable to additional family stressors, such as financial
instability or parental conflict. In particular, children’s
exposure to parental conflict or aggression can impact
children’s sense of safety, their learning capacity, and theirphysical and mental health.
In recognition of April as the Month of the MilitaryChild, our goal is to raise awareness among community
service providers of military programs that strengthen
military families.

Community Resources and Provider
Recommendations to Strengthen Military Families■ Off-base child care can be obtained through Military Child

Helping Parents Meet the Needs of Children■ Recommend military families to utilize Family
Advocacy Program (FAP) prevention services, such as
family financial planning and parenting skills classes.
■ Encourage military spouses to utilize installation
employment readiness specialists and/or online
resources as part of DoD’s Spouse Education andCareer Opportunities (SECO) program (https://myseco.
militaryonesource.mil/portal/).
■ Help parents in need of mental health treatment toaccess available care.
■ Advise families with spouses and children needing
specialized care they may be eligible for the Exceptional
Family Member Program, which stations militaryfamilies near medical facilities capable of meeting theirtreatment needs.
■ Assist families that may be overwhelmed by stressors insecuring child care and/or respite care available at mostinstallations.
Ensuring Adequate Supervision of Children■ On-base child care can be obtained through Military
OneSource (militaryonesource.mil or 800-342-9647)
and Military Child Care (MilitaryChildCare.com or855-696-2934).

Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN).
■ Encourage parents to participate in formal and informalsocial events (e.g., family readiness group events, child-care/school events, recreational sports, and unit dining out).
Reducing Conflict at Home
■ Encourage families to utilize unit and installation chaplains
for marriage enrichment and counseling services (e.g.,Family Life Chaplain counseling services and marriage
enrichment retreats).
■ Provide couples information on Military OneSource(militaryonesource.mil) for confidential non-medical
marital counseling.
■ Refer high-risk families to FAP-sponsored parent
counseling to help parents address harmful behaviors,
manage anger, and improve conflict resolution skills.
■ Refer families with suspected incidents of family violence toFAP providers who specialize in victim services and batterer
treatment.
■ Identify and address concerns regarding stigma andother barriers that prevent at-risk families from seeking
counseling.
■ Encourage couples undergoing divorce to utilize programs
designed to reduce conflict and promote co-parenting.
■ Refer service members with reported or suspected combatrelated symptoms (e.g., PTSD, TBI, depression, or substancemisuse) to mental health providers.