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(b) SURVEYS
OF
MILITARY
FAMILIES.—Section
1782(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘AUTHORITY’’
and inserting ‘‘IN GENERAL’’; and
(2) by striking ‘‘may conduct surveys’’ in the
matter preceding paragraph (1) and inserting ‘‘shall,
in fiscal year 2009 and not less often than once every
three fiscal years thereafter, conduct surveys’’.
SEC. 583. FAMILY SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES OF MEMBERS OF
THE ARMED FORCES UNDERGOING DEPLOY-
MENT, INCLUDING NATIONAL GUARD AND RE-
SERVE PERSONNEL.
(a) FAMILY SUPPORT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall
enhance and improve current programs of the Depart-
ment of Defense to provide family support for families
of deployed members of the Armed Forces, including
deployed members of the National Guard and Reserve,
in order to improve the assistance available for fami-
lies of such members before, during, and after their
deployment cycle.
(2) SPECIFIC
ENHANCEMENTS.—In enhancing
and improving programs under paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall enhance and improve the availability
of assistance to families of members of the Armed
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Forces, including members of the National Guard and
Reserve, including assistance in—
(A) preparing and updating family care
plans;
(B) securing information on health care
and mental health care benefits and services and
on other community resources;
(C) providing referrals for—
(i) crisis services; and
(ii) marriage counseling and family
counseling; and
(D) financial counseling.
(b) POST-DEPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
FOR SPOUSES
AND PARENTS OF RETURNING MEMBERS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall
provide spouses and parents of members of the Armed
Forces, including members of the National Guard and
Reserve, who are returning from deployment assist-
ance in—
(A) understanding issues that arise in the
readjustment of such members—
(i) for members of the National Guard
and Reserve, to civilian life; and
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(ii) for members of the regular compo-
nents of the Armed Forces, to military life
in a non-combat environment;
(B) identifying signs and symptoms of men-
tal health conditions; and
(C) encouraging such members and their
families in seeking assistance for such condi-
tions.
(2) INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE RESOURCES.—
In providing assistance under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall provide information on local resources for
mental health services, family counseling services, or
other appropriate services, including services avail-
able from both military providers of such services and
community-based providers of such services.
(3) TIMING.—The Secretary shall provide re-
sources under paragraph (1) to a member of the
Armed Forces approximately six months after the
date of the return of such member from deployment.
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SEC. 584. SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, INFANTS,
AND TODDLERS OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED
FORCES 
UNDERGOING 
DEPLOYMENT, 
IN-
CLUDING NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE
PERSONNEL.
(a) ENHANCEMENT OF SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CHIL-
DREN.—The Secretary of Defense shall—
(1) provide information to parents and other
caretakers of children, including infants and toddlers,
who are deployed members of the Armed Forces to as-
sist such parents and caretakers in responding to the
adverse implications of such deployment (and the
death or injury of such members during such deploy-
ment) for such children, including the role such par-
ents and caretakers can play in addressing and miti-
gating such implications;
(2) develop programs and activities to increase
awareness throughout the military and civilian com-
munities of the potential adverse implications of such
deployment (including the death or injury of such
members during such deployment) for such children
and their families and to increase collaboration with-
in such communities to address and mitigate such
implications;
(3) develop training for early childhood edu-
cation, child care, mental health, health care, and
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family support professionals to enhance the awareness
of such professionals of their role in assisting families
in addressing and mitigating the potential adverse
implications of such deployment (including the death
or injury of such members during such deployment)
for such children; and
(4) conduct or sponsor research on best practices
for building psychological and emotional resiliency in
such children in coping with the deployment of such
members.
(b) REPORTS.—
(1) REPORTS REQUIRED.—At the end of the 18-
month period beginning on the date of the enactment
of this Act, and at the end of the 36-month period be-
ginning on that date, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to Congress a report on the services provided
under subsection (a).
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each report under paragraph
(1) shall include the following:
(A) An assessment of the extent to which
outreach to parents and other caretakers of chil-
dren, or infants and toddlers, as applicable, of
members of the Armed Forces was effective in
reaching such parents and caretakers and in
mitigating any adverse effects of the deployment