_edited.png)
<!-- Google Code for KOAH pt1 Conversion Page -->
<script type="text/javascript">
/* <![CDATA[ */
var google_conversion_id = 864993499;
var google_conversion_language = "en";
var google_conversion_format = "3";
var google_conversion_color = "ffffff";
var google_conversion_label = "9iakCKSq3G8Q24G7nAM";
var google_remarketing_only = false;
/* ]]> */
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion.js">
</script>
<noscript>
<div style="display:inline;">
<img height="1" width="1" style="border-style:none;" alt="" src="//www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion/864993499/?label=9iakCKSq3G8Q24G7nAM&guid=ON&script=0"/>
</div>
</noscript>
Advocating and Educating, Ensuring Military Kids Connect to Their Community
Kid’s of America’s Heroes is dedicated to serving and supporting the littlest member of the silent ranks: military-connected children
Kids of America’s Heroes wants to shine a spotlight on the regular, everyday struggles and triumphs of military children
Deployments
Friendships, and Mental Health
Our Kids Of America's Heroes deal with a lot! Between the high tempo and duration of deployments for the last 17 years, frequent moves away from friends and family, and the stress of not knowing when, or if, your family will be affected by military related tragedy, these children shoulder so much.
The Unique Challenges Kids Of America's Heroes
Kids Of America's Heroes feel the burden of extended periods of parental absence, frequent relocation contribute to Kids Of America's Heroes struggles. Active duty families move every two to three years
Parental Deployment Effects on Kids Of America's Heroes
Parentification
Depression
Kids Of America's Heroes suffer depression and it causes difficulties in school and family and social relationships.
Emotional Difficulties
The cumulative impact of multiple deployments is associated with more emotional difficulties among Kids Of America's Heroes.
Separation
Reintegration
After deployment is also challenging! Many parents come home physically whole, but struggle with their own mental health issues
Collateral Damage
PTSD impacts service members and their Kids Of America's Hereos.
Kids Of America's Heroes Sacrifice More Than Their Counterpart Non-military Kids.
Kids Of America's Heroes Sacrifice
Kids Of America’s Heroes give up and deal with so much, simply by accident of their birth. These kids move around the country and world, saying goodbye to family and friends and teachers every three or so years. They often live far from their extended families. And they routinely send one or both parents into harm's way. Deployments are tumultuous, stressful, and usually end in the joy of reunion.
Gold Star Families
To date, 6,932 service men and women have been killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other troops have been lost stateside through training accidents.
Kids Of America's Heroes Left to Care for Their Wounded Warrior Parents
Wounded Warrior Parents
Kids Of America's Heroes with wounded warrior parent(s) are under tremendous stress and pressure. They are often actively caring for parents with complicated conditions. Many children have moved with their families in order to be closer to treatment facilities. All of this could lead to changes in behavior and academic performance.
Wounded Warrior Parents
Since 9/11, over 370,000 troops have returned with both visible and invisible wounds. In addition, according to the Comfort Crew, an estimated 20% of veterans and troops have signs of PTSD. Thousands of military-connected children family structure and lives have been up-ended.
Kids Of America's Heroes Food Insecurity
Food Insecurity in Military and Veteran Families
Thousands of military connected children (and that’s just the active duty connected kids going to DoDEA schools) are in families with incomes so low that they qualify for free/reduced lunch. It means that we have military families who cannot afford to buy their kids lunches. It means that there are military children who are living in potentially food insecure homes.
Serving Our Country and Balancing Kids Of America's Heroes with Special Needs
National Guard and Reserve Kids Of America's Heroes
Balancing Special Needs Education and Military Service
Under totally normal circumstances, special education can be a challenge. Everything seems to take a million years between requesting, testing, and making a new plan. For Kids Of America's Heroes, it can be even harder.
You can help by supporting KOAH’s effort to educate military families, local communities, and schools about the needs of Kids Of America's Heroes.
Guard and Reserve Families Shoulder a Great Burden.
When most of America thinks of the military, we tend to think of active duty troops. We picture the men and women who serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. These troops are stationed at military bases.
But there are other families who also serve. They are scattered throughout almost every single city, town and community in our great nation. Yet you might never know it. This is the National Guard and Reserve.
These military families are often living far from active bases. That means that we have families living far removed from commissaries, military medical centers and others who understand the challenges of military life.
Guard and Reserve families often fly below the radar
You might have a family on your own block who serves their country, and not ever know it.
This is true for schools, too. Teachers could have students in their classroom dealing with deployments, parents with service-related injuries or working through other military concerns. All of these things can affect a child’s emotions, motivations and behaviors.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
“Testimonials work great. Showing your reviews in quote marks has a powerful effect on customers and makes them more likely to trust you.”
— Name, Title
FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
“Preschool: children at this age have difficulty with change and will not have a full understanding of why a parent is leaving or for how long, compared with the older child and adolescent. Before deployment, they will understand that there has been a change in the family behavior but will not understand the full extent until the parent is absent. Children need reassurance that they will be cared for and kept safe and they did not cause the deployment”
— Benjamin S. Siegel, MD, Beth Ellen Davis, MD, MPH, and THE COMMITTEE ON PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF CHILD AND FAMILY HEALTH AND SECTION ON UNIFORMED SERVICES
— Name, Title