By Stacy Huisman Definition of a Military Connected Youth: A child, adolescent, or student with a close family member (parent, step parent, sibling, step-sibling, cousin) or friend serving in any branch of the United States Armed Forces and any status Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard. Fact: There are 2,000,000 military-connected children in America; of those: • 1,381,584 of the military-connected children are 4-18 years old • Over 80% of these children – 1,105,267 students – attend … [Read more...]
18 Amazing Ways to Celebrate the Month of the Military Child – April 2016
(Elementary School Kids) by Stacy Huisman and Becky Harris Families On The Home Front In 1986 April was designated Month of the Military Child by Casper Weinberger to recognize and thank children from military families for the sacrifices they make living the military lifestyle. Purple Up is the campaign that propels activities throughout the Month of the Military Child to honor, acknowledge, and support Military Connected Youth in our schools and communities. A Military Connected Youth is a … [Read more...]
Fact or Fiction? The Truth About Being a Military Kid
#MilKids are complex little people. There are many myths and stereotypes about military-connected kids that are mostly fiction. On my latest piece at Military Kids Life Magazines' Chameleon Kids, I try to sort out some of the facts from fiction when it comes to the military lifestyle. Military kids are just like their civilian counterparts – unique in the way they react and are able to handle change. While news headlines say all military kids are struggling, the truth is that most are … [Read more...]
Military Kids and the Hunt for Scholarships
I recently wrote an article for Chameleon Kids and Military Kids’ Life about little-known college scholarships for military-connected kids. Through my research, I realized that military-connected kids are exactly what colleges are looking for in a student. Most military kids have a unique story to tell, different from their civilian peers. High school students who attend DoDEA schools overseas tend to stand out among the stacks of applicants. It’s not very often that sixteen-year-old can take … [Read more...]
Supporting the Needs of Military-Connected Students: Through My School Psychologist Lens
November 9-13 is the National Association of School Psychologists annual School Psychology Awareness week. The theme this year is Connect the Dots and Thrive. To kick off the week, we at Families on the Home Front feel it is important for parents and educators to understand the role of the school psychologist as it pertains to military-connected students. Becky Harris, NCSP and Managing Partner at Families on the Home Front, shares her perspective on the role a school psychologist plays in a … [Read more...]
Six Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Veterans Day with Children
For many, Veterans Days is just another holiday on the school or work calendar. But for those who serve and have sacrificed (and their families), it’s more than a day off work. It’s important for those – especially children – outside the military community to connect with this meaningful and symbolic day. Children’s perspectives and cognitive abilities are limited. They are unable to understand the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women or the concept of risking one’s life to voluntarily … [Read more...]
ParentCamp USA: Through My (Mom of 2 Military-Connected Kids) Lens
When I received an email about ParentCampUSA from my Managing Partner with the subject line “GO TO THIS,” I RSVP’d immediately. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to go to a camp for parents at the Department of Education? As I read more about the objective for ParentCampUSA, I realized I could not pass up the opportunity to go to a conference dedicated to helping me become more engaged in my children’s education. Really? Someone out there besides me thinks I should be engaged with the system that is … [Read more...]
Parents Need to Know the Military-Connected Children’s Educational Bill of Rights
Military-connected children have educational rights. They may not be called educational rights in any law or policy, but the intent behind the Military Children’s Interstate Compact Commission (MIC3) is the same – a fair treatment of military-connected kids in public schools. See the full Compact here. Our military-connected children encounter a plethora of challenges and obstacles when transferring schools. The Compact provides for the uniform treatment of military children transferring … [Read more...]
Top 8 Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences
The first quarter of school is quickly coming to an end and with that will be Parent-Teacher Conferences. At my kids’ middle school, they have something called “Touching Bases.” It's a three-hour block of time where all the teachers gather in a giant room, and all the parents run from teacher to teacher getting their “conference” about their child. I have two kids with six teachers each; that’s 12 teachers I will meet with. I have no idea what to expect. It sounds like speed dating; it sounds … [Read more...]
What You Need to Know: The Military Student Data Identifier
What is the Military Student Data Identifier? Currently, there is no reliable and consistent data available on the academic well-being of our military-connected children. Although the Department of Defense tracks military-connected children in other ways through deployments or physical exams, there is no data available to track how well our children are doing in school. In 2014, the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission made sweeping recommendations for changes … [Read more...]
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