Posts Tagged ‘military children’

A survey released Wednesday by Blue Star Families found that 62 percent of military family members who believed their service member had exhibited signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, regardless of any official diagnosis, did not seek treatment due to doubts about the military’s support system. The finding demonstrates there is still much to be done to help service members and their families deal with the invisible wounds of war, concluded the nonprofit dedicated to supporting military families …

The Massachusetts Senate last week unanimously approved legislation extending benefits and increasing access to a range of services for military personnel, their families and veterans. The Valor Act would provide an array of benefits to help veterans and active military members obtain improved business, educational and housing opportunities …

In a letter sent in conjunction with the Month of the Military Child, Education Secretary Arne Duncan asks public school superintendents to better address the needs of military-connected students. “We want all military-connected school children to have an equal and fair opportunity for academic success. This requires that those individuals who make up our nation’s educational system — our teachers, principals, school nurses, coaches, and counselors — understand the unique situations the children of our service members experience …

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal last week signed legislation making the state the 42nd to adopt an interstate agreement ensuring the uniform treatment of military children transferring between school districts. The goal of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children is to make transition easier so that military children — who typically attend from six to nine different school systems from K-12 — are afforded the same opportunities as other children …

Military families living on installations should have more flexibility to choose the schools for their children when they attend schools operated by local school systems, according to report language in the portion of the draft fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill to be marked up today by the House Armed Services’ Military Personnel Subcommittee. While some school systems allow families to choose the particular school their children attend through inter- or intra-district transfer programs, many do not and are assigned schools based on geographic boundaries …

Military families will wear heart monitors as part of a University of Minnesota study assessing the stress of deployment on Guard and Reserve families. Minnesota was chosen for the study — which is scheduled to track 400 families over five years — because its citizen-soldiers generally are older and more likely to have families than service members on active duty …

Employment, mental health, disability benefits, health care, education, suicide and families, in that order, were the primary concerns of more than 4,200 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, according to a new survey. Among the findings of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America’s annual survey …

Wyoming earlier this month became the 41st state to adopt an interstate agreement intended to smooth the transition between school districts when military children move. The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children addresses key educational transition issues encountered by military families, including enrollment, placement, attendance, eligibility and graduation …

The Pentagon’s $11.2 billion budget request for military construction and family housing in fiscal 2013 supports a variety of projects, including upgrading DOD-owned schools and medical facilities, and investing in energy conservation, Dorothy Robyn, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment, told lawmakers Wednesday. The request continues the recapitalization of DOD-owned schools, with $547 million to replace or renovate 11 schools in poor or failing condition …

The DOD Education Activity is offering a total of $25 million in grants to school systems that teach military-dependent students for programs that strengthen family engagement and improve student achievement. Awards for FY 2012 grants to Military-Connected Local Educational Agencies for Academic and Support Programs will be made to local educational agencies on behalf of their eligible schools …