Supporters of military children are being asked to "Purple Up" this week
This month marks the 35th anniversary of the Month of the Military Child. With more than a million children with parents actively serving our county, the Month of the Military Child is not only a time to recognize these children and how their childhoods may differ as military children, but also to acknowledge some of the challenges faced by both military parents and their kids and to emphasize resources available to them. These challenges include transferring their kids between multiple schools as parents are assigned to new bases; accessing affordable, flexible; and high-quality childcare; obtaining mental health support and resources; and attaining financial stability.
Blue Star Families is a non-profit organization, founded in 2009 by military spouses, whose mission is to support and empower families to thrive as family members serve. Today the organization provides services to 1.5 million military families. And according to the 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey released by Blue Star Families, 40-percent of active duty respondents say their children’s education is one of the most concerning issues of military life; and only half say that they can access high-quality mental health care for their children.
Kathy Roth-Douquet explains more about Month of the Military Child, why the color purple was chosen to represent it, the challenges that military children face, what resources are available to them and their families, and why the public is being asked to "Purple Up" on Friday, April 16th.
