STARS In Schools
SUPPORTING RC FAMILIES DURING DEPLOYMENTS AND ACTIVATIONS
When a parent is deployed or activated for military service, the entire family faces unique challenges. ROA is committed to helping Reserve Component families navigate these transitions by providing resources and practical guidance to support children’s educational, emotional, and social well-being. From communicating with schools to maintaining stability at home, these education-related resources help families prepare for deployment and ensure children have the support they need to thrive.
SHOULD YOU INFORM YOUR SCHOOL THAT YOU ARE A MILITARY FAMILY?
You may be questioning the benefits of informing your child’s school about your military service. Military families and children have unique needs, however, and your school community can’t provide the extra support that your military family might need if they don’t know.
Should you tell your child’s school if someone in your family is being deployed? It’s possible that your family has weathered deployments in the past without any negative effects on your child, but every deployment is different, and you can’t always predict how your child will react to a new deployment. Informing your child’s teacher(s) and/or counselor that a parent will be away from home serving their country — possibly for as long as 18 months — will help them monitor how your child is doing in the classroom and plan ways to be supportive.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR SCHOOL
- How is my child responding to the news of my deployment?
- Who will get my child to and from school? Will my child need to start riding the bus?
- Will my child need before/after school care? Is homework help available?
- If you are deployed, how involved do you think you can be in your child’s education? Do you want to be involved in virtual teacher meetings or do you want the family member at home to handle those meetings?
- How will the school let the various staff members know about our family’s deployment?
- If your child misses a day of school to say goodbye or see a family member home on leave, how will the school handle this absence?
- Can missed classwork be provided in advance? Can missed work be made up?
QUESTIONS TO ASK AT HOME
Are your child’s teachers communicating with you or are they worried about bothering you?
Did your child get into trouble at school or get sent to the nurse’s office but you didn’t get a phone call? It’s possible that the staff at your child’s school is trying so hard not to create more stress for your family during deployment that they aren’t involving you in everything that is happening with your child. Try to stay in close touch with someone at your school so they feel comfortable keeping you informed. Note that some teachers and administrators tend to contact parents only when a child is in trouble. Help them understand how important it is for you and for your child to hear about your child’s strengths and accomplishments.
Are support networks available?
National Guard and Reserve families may not have the same family support services available to them as active duty service members. It is even more important for you to communicate with your child’s school to make them aware and let them make suggestions for making your military family life easier.
Is your child involved in fun activities at school or in the community?
If your child begins to pull away from activities they enjoy or doesn’t have time for fun because of added responsibilities at home, this could lead to resentment or social/emotional problems later.
Is your child eating well?
Proper nutrition can contribute to improved performance at school and can alter a child’s mood. Consider preparing meals ahead of time to keep school nights from getting stressful because of homework and other responsibilities. Cooking meals together is an enjoyable activity for many families and children tend to eat better when they are the ones helping to make the meal.
What if my child has special needs?
When meeting with your child’s IEP team, it’s important to communicate that since your child is growing up in a military family, he or she may face increased stress or emotional instability that might be contributing to behavior or learning outcomes.
FACTS ABOUT MILITARY CHILDREN
- The U.S. military consists of approximately 1.4 million active duty service members and 810,000 National Guard and Selected Reserve.
- Active duty military families live on or near military installations worldwide. National Guard and Reserve families might never live near a military installation and look within their community for educational services, friendship, and support.
- There are currently 1.2 million military children of active duty members worldwide.
- Approximately 2 million military children have experienced a parental deployment since 2001.
Military Children
%
% of MilKids Attending Public Schools
- Nearly 80 percent of military children attend public schools throughout the United States.
- The average military family moves three times more often than their civilian counterpart.
- Repeated and extended separations and increased hazards of deployment compound stressors in military children’s lives.
- One third of school-age military children show psychosocial behaviors such as being anxious, worrying often, or crying more frequently.
- A positive school environment built upon caring relationships among all participants—students, teachers, staff, administrators, parents, and community members—has been shown to impact not only academic performance but also positively influence emotions and behaviors of students.
- Supporting a military child takes a school-wide effort and professional development opportunities to inform school staff of the academic and social-emotional challenges military children face.
STARS SCHOOL KIT
Members of the Reserve Component usually reside outside of a military base and work for civilian employers. Reserve families usually do not have access to the extensive support system that supports military families living near a military base.
The STARS School Kit creates an easy way for parents to formally notify their children’s schools that a family member is about to be deployed and helps educators support Reserve families during deployment. Each pencil pouch contains information about families with a deployed parent.
We’d love to send you a supply of our FREE school kits for families! Please fill out the form below to request your School Kits. Note that requests must be submitted at least 3 weeks prior to date required.
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