Child Care and the Military Family

Did you know there are approximately 1.9 million military children, ranging in ages from newborn to 18 years old? and More than 700,000 children have experienced the deployment of one or more parents since 2001.*

As a child care provider you are at the forefront of supporting these military children and their families. You can be the stability these children need. There is help available for you!

Penn State Extension, Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Program, has a list of resources featuring research-based information, resources, and professional development for childcare professionals serving military connected families.

Military Families Learning Network concentrates on the interests and needs of child care providers who serve military families. Here you can discover, share, and discuss resources and collaborate on issues that arise as you provide care and education for young children with parents in the military.

This 3-piece set, Honoring Our Babies & Toddlers, from Zero to Three, is designed for professionals and military parents, provides methods to support young children affected by stress, trauma, grief, and loss due to a military parent’s deployment, injury, or death.

One more idea check out these free “Salute the Kids” coloring pages for military children. “Sit with your children as they color, talk to them about the drawings, help them express their emotions and urge them to add their own creative touches, making the drawings into their very own art.”

Keep your eyes on MilitaryAvenue’s “Ways to Support the Military Children” for new resources that you can use to care for our children as well as ideas to share with the families you hold dear. You hold these resilient, loyal, strong children close to your heart. So do we.

If you are not a MilitaryAvenue Partner Program Participant SIGN-UP today. If you offer a military-discount to our military families you can have a free ad. We would love to help you spread the word to military-families about the service and care you want to provide to them: http://militaryavenue.com/ListWithUs.aspx

Additional Resources from MilitaryAvenue.com and the DoD Community:

Child Care Centers – Helping Children Solve Problems

Parenting Needs – Teaching Children the Financial Facts of Life

Parenting Needs – TRICARE Extends Autism Demonstration

K – 12 – A Website for Military Youth

K – 12 – Children Staying Home Alone

K – 12 – Compact Eases School Transitions for Military Children

K – 12 – Helping Children Struggling with a Pending Deployment

K – 12 – Keep in Touch after a PCS

K – 12 – Military Kids Connect

K – 12 – Month of the Military Child: Military Kids, Heroes for the Future

K – 12 – Moving Tools: School Report