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Let’s work to ensure that all Kids Of America's Heroes are fully supported in their schools!
- Mar 2, 2018
- 2 min read
When you hear that military children are everywhere, that is not an understatement. Military children are not just active duty. Children of veterans, Reserve, and National Guard troops experience the challenges of military life, too.
Military-connected children experience challenges like:
Frequent separation from one or both parents due to deployments or extended training exercises
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves every 2-3 years, on average
Changing schools every 2-3 grade levels due to PCS moves
Assisting with care of a wounded parent
Handling changing family dynamics due to parental absence or injury
Taking on adult responsibilities due to changing family dynamics
All of these challenges can impact how military-connected kids behave and perform in school. Military Child School Liaisons
That’s why having trained professionals in every school is vital to MilKids’ success. Military school liaisons would act as an additional measure to ensure that military children are succeeding and connecting, no matter where they are located. Liaisons would be available to assist and train teachers about the warning signs to watch for. They could form in-school support groups to build community among military connected children. Liaisons could step into the classroom, with lessons and co-teaching opportunities to highlight military children and military life. Teachers would be able to create intervention plans with their local liaison for military children who are having trouble.
Parents would also have access, too. They could alert their liaison when their family is experience changes or challenges. Parents, teachers, and liaisons could work together to solve problems. School Liaison Officers aren’t enough
Currently, the DoD provides some School Liaison Officers (SLOs). These professionals are based on active military installations and at DoDEA schools.
SLOs are able to help families when they are transitioning, providing enrollment paperwork and locating schools near their next base. They can provide guidance on school-related issues, too. Even with SLOs at every military installation and DoDEA school worldwide, there are still gaps. Many military-connected children live far from military bases, leaving their community without support. While these children might not have active duty parents, they are still dealing with military-connected concerns.
Every military-connected child deserves to have a dedicated liaison nearby. If a resource is not available at their immediate school, there should be one in their county or region.
KOAH’s Mission At Kids of America’s Heroes, we believe that all military-connected children should have access to to trained professionals, skilled in assisting with the realities of military life.Our mission is to have a trained professional military liaison accessible to every school in the US. This goal won’t be achieved overnight, but it is something to aim for in the future. We can only make this essential dream a reality with your help and support.
When you donate to KOAH, you help us to create the systems to train military liaisons. Your donations fuel our advocacy and outreach, bringing the needs of military-connected children to the front steps of our politicians and policy makers. We need your help. Our military children need your help.
Let’s work to ensure that all MilKids are fully supported in their schools!
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