As the entire world tunes into reports of global crises, you may find yourself working with military families with young children directly impacted by the conflict. We are reminded through media that babies and young children are victims of war, terrorism and violent conflict. We know that that infants and young children in military families are also impacted by these events as their caregiver’s prepare for possible deployment or as those caregivers stationed in the Middle East may face longer deployments. The stress and deeply impacts military familie. And for young children, scary images on the news can be enough to cause stress and fear.
With an estimated 22 million veterans and active duty service members within the United States, chances are that about 8 percent of the families you serve are military-connected. Military-connected families have a unique set of values and experiences that influence how they see the world, and are currently facing unique challenges and stressors.
The ZERO TO THREE Military Family Projects team is proud to support military families. We work to increase awareness and collaboration throughout the military community so that parents and professionals can more effectively care for very young children and their families. We are here to support you as you serve members of the military community during this uncertain time.
As situations evolve, we will continue to update this page with information and resources.
Are You Supporting a Military or Veteran Family? You Might Not Know Unless You Ask!
This resource helps to raise awareness of the military-connected families in your community, and what you should know about their culture and experiences to best understand and support service members and veterans with young children.
Deployment and Coming Home: The Realities for Infants and Toddlers in Military Families
Regardless of the international climate, deployment is a fact of military life. Military families live in an ongoing state of anxiety and tension, which at times can be significantly emotional and uncertain for everyone in the family. This resource introduces you to the impact of deployments on young children, regardless of the location and circumstances.
Babies on the Homefront
Babies on the Homefront is our free, downloadable app designed specifically for military and Veteran parents of young children. Encourage the military families you work with to use this valuable tool for immediate access to expert advice on topics including self-care, the injury or loss of a parent, transitioning back to civilian life, and preparing for deployment.
