Our Goal: Increase educators' capacity to understand and support children who live in military households, and specifically Veteran caregiving households.
Since May 2021, the Joining Forces Interagency Policy Committee has been an important forum for advancing cross-agency priorities related to the families of service members and Veterans, caregivers, and survivors. Federal agencies have made commitments in the Strengthening America's Military Families report in support of the Joining Forces. This document implements one of those commitments by providing a toolkit for educators serving children who live in military households, and specifically Veteran caregiving households.
Specifically, this toolkit provides resources to assist educators at all levels in better understanding and supporting the approximately 2.3 million children under the age of 18 living with a disabled Veteran and whose personal needs may compete with the caregiving tasks they perform for their Veteran parent. These resources may also be beneficial to other children, both in military and Veteran families without a disabled Veteran and in civilian caregiving homes. This toolkit offers resources for educators, parents, and family members that focus on the academic, non-academic, and mental health needs of children living in military households, particularly Veteran caregiving households.