Did you know that April is the Department of Defense’s Month of the Military Child? This is a month to celebrate the young people who are connected with the military. The theme for 2023 is “Taking Care of Our Military Children.” According to the DOD, there’s about 1.6 million military children. Military families move on average every 2-3 years, which can impact a child through changing schools and support networks.1,2
Source: Month of the Military Child Toolkit | Military OneSource
We’re going to highlight some resources for families and others to access so they can get the support they need and learn ways to take care of any military child in their life.
General Resources
- Month of the Military Child Toolkit | Military OneSource: 2023 toolkit for the Month of the Military Child. It includes ways to celebrate, resources for military families, and other resources.
- Month of the Military Child (defense.gov): DOD’s landing page for this month. It includes stories, photos, resources for military children, resources for military parents, and other resources.
- What is Friendship to Military Children: 7-minute Ted Talk
- A Conversation with Military Children: 3 minute video from DoDEA
- There’s another one at the end of this post too!
Based in Alaska?
- JBER Life: youth programs for those at JBER
- Wainwright MWR :: Youth Center (armymwr.com): youth programs for those at Fort Wainwright
- Enrollment / Military (asdk12.org): ASD’s Military Liaison and other resources
- Military Student Support / Military Student Support (k12northstar.org): FNSBSD’s Military Support
- Service To The Armed Forces | Alaska | Red Cross: American Red Cross of Alaska’s resources for military
- Military – ALASKA 4-H (alaska4h.org): Alaska 4-H’s support for military
Tobacco Related Information
- Stress Awareness Month: highlight’s the connection between stress and tobacco use. Military service members and children face a unique set of stressors.
- Veteran’s Day: highlight’s tobacco industry marketing towards military members, specific impacts tobacco can have on military service, and ways to quit tobacco
- E-Cigarettes for Parents/Caregivers: provides information on e-cigarettes that parents and caregivers may want to know
- Ring in the New Year Smokefree: for anyone wanting to quit, this provides what you may experience during the quit journey as well as resources for quitting
Source: DODEA Communications (What it’s like being a military child – YouTube)
Signing off with this: if you’re a child connected to the military, family of a military member, or serve in the military, we thank you for being you.
