Supporting our military families

Military families and supporters gathered at the Statehouse April 10 to celebrate Military Family Appreciation Day and the Month of the Military Child in Iowa.

Parents of more than 10,000 Iowa children are serving in the military, and many more Iowa kids have a sibling, grandparent or other family member in the armed forces. In addition, Iowa kids are often affected by the deployment of a teacher, coach or other adult in their lives.

That’s why supporting our military kids and families is so important. Many educators and counselors attend Military Child Education Coalition training through the Army National Guard. And organizations like Early Childhood Iowa and Child Care Resource & Referral are spreading the word among childcare providers about the impact of deployment.

Operation Military Kids supports military youth and their families through a variety of initiatives, including:

** Mobilization Packets designed by military kids who’ve been through deployment. Packets include information and resources to help kids cope with the challenges of deployment. A grant from the American Legion of Iowa Foundation helps pay for the packets.

** Speak Out for Military Kids, a community service opportunity to train military and non-military youth to advocate for kids affected by deployment. Training helps young people develop communication, leadership and citizenship skills.

** Mobile Technology Lab, a computer lab that can be used by military kids to stay connected to their parent during a deployment. Kids can video tape a message, burn it to DVD, create a card and package the entire production for mailing. The labs can also be incorporated into community events that support military families.

To learn more about Operation Military Kid, go to http://tinyurl.com/Iowamilitarykids.