Being a military child comes with a unique set of benefits, as well as challenges. Whether it’s dealing with the challenges of changing schools several times a year or coping with the deployment of a family member, there are several nationwide programs available offering support.
From young innovator camps, to programs designed to help children deal with mobility, family separation, and transition, here are a few programs for children of military families.
[Related: 12 Ways to Support the Military and Veterans]
Military Youth on the Move – A resourceful website that helps parents, kids, pre-teens and teenagers deals with all facets of military life from deployment and making friends, to teen dating and eating healthy.
ecybermission – Â a web-based science, technology, engineering and mathematics competition for 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grade teams. Each child is placed on a team where they propose a solution to a real problems in their community and compete for state, regional, and national Awards.
Military Teen Adventure Camp Opportunities – From whitewater rafting, hiking, and rock-climbing, to winter camping, backpacking, and mountain biking, military teens (14-18 years old) have an opportunity to participate in adventure camps, June 2015 through April 2016, at little to no cost.
Military Teen Adventure Camp Opportunities are the result of a partnership between the Department of Defense, the Office of Military Community and Family Policy, and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture through a grant/cooperative agreement with Purdue University.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America – Since 1991, the U.S. Armed Forces and Boys & Girls Clubs of
America have partnered to help children of military families face the unique challenges of military life. In 2012, more than 18,000 military youth were served by nearly 1,300 traditional clubs. In addition, one-year, no-cost memberships are provided to children of the approximately 70% of families who live outside military installations. Check out some of the stories from current and former club members who are affiliated with the U.S. military.(Continued on next page)
Our Military Kids – Provides grants to children (3 -18 years old) of deployed National Guard, reserve personnel, and children of all Wounded Warriors. Grants pay for participation in sports, fine arts, and academic tutoring programs. Activities help children cope with stress and anxiety in a positive way while parents recover from severe service-related injuries.
In partnership with the Armed Services, the YMCA offers memberships and respite childcare services to eligible military families and personnel through the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Military Outreach Initiative. Here is a snapshot of the programs- Operation Kid Comfort -Â Volunteers at the Armed Services YMCA create custom-made photo transfer quilts and pillows. Each child receives a quilt or pillow; children 7 and under receive a quilt, 8 and older receive a pillow. Operation Kid Comfort quilts and pillows are for the children of our deployed active duty U.S. military service men and women.
- Art and Essay Contest -Â The annual Armed Services YMCA Art & Essay Contest allows children to express their love, appreciation, and admiration for their military heroes. Entries for the art contest depict the theme, My Military Family.
Sesame Street Talk, Listen, Connect For Military Families – Through ‘Talk, Listen, Connect,’ Sesame Street delivers a multi-phase outreach initiative to help kids through deployments, combat-related injuries, and the death of a loved one. The program features a series of videos, storybooks, and workbooks created to guide families through these tough transitions by showing how real families – as well as furry monsters – deal with similar circumstances.
Camp Corral – a free, one-of-a-kind summer camp for children of wounded, disabled or fallen military service members. For one week, kids experience amazing adventures through boating, swimming, hiking, archery and doing just about everything you can do enjoying fresh air and nature. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make friends with other children in the military.