Spotlight on Alaska National Guard Child and Youth Program
Helping Children Survive Deployment
"Military deployments certainly take a toll on families, especially
young children," said Joan Boltz, State Youth Coordinator for the
Alaska National Guard Child and Youth Program (AKNG CYP), part of the
AKNG Family Programs. "Faced with change and uncertainty, they may
become sad and lonely, feel a loss of comfort or security, and, at such
a young age, have a difficult time in expressing their emotions.
The AKNG CYP helps Guard members and their families cope with the
stress and confusion of deployment. In addition to conducting
experiential education training sessions for children ages 7 and
older across Alaska, they connect families with younger children to
national or local programs and services designed to help make the
transition easier.
"Behavior is a key communicator for very young children, so being
prepared for potential behavioral changes and having places to turn to
and ideas to try with the youngest members of military families is
crucial to 'dealing' with separation," added Boltz.
Examples of programs and services include:
The Kissing Hand Initiative
The Kissing Hand
by Audrey Penn is a heartwarming story about a raccoon named Chester,
and his fear of starting school. To comfort him, Chester's mother
kisses the back of his hand, and tells him whenever he feels sad or
lonely, just hold that hand to his cheek and he will feel her love.
Although this story relates to the first day of school, it can be
easily adapted to comfort children and help them stay connected with a
deployed parent. Initiated by the Army Child and Youth Service (CYS),
the AKNG Guard CYP has distributed more than 250 books in Operation
Military Kids Hero Packs since 2005.
Project Linus
Project Linus is comprised of hundreds of local chapters and thousands
of volunteers, or "Blanketeers," across the nation who hand craft
blankets to be given as gifts to children who are seriously ill,
traumatized, or otherwise in need. More than two million blankets,
which represent love, a sense of security, warmth, and comfort, have
been gifted since their inception in 1995. August 2007, about 150
blankets arrived in Anchorage, some of which were distributed to
children of the deployed unit CO B, 297 SPT BN by the Anchorage Family
Assistance Center staff, part of the Alaska National Guard Family
Programs.
Sesame Street DVD
"Talk, Listen, Connect...Deployments, Homecomings, Changes" - this
bi-lingual (English/Spanish), multimedia outreach program is designed
to support military families with children between the ages of two and
five who are experiencing deployment, multiple deployments, or a
parent's return home changed due to a combat-related injury. Featuring
Elmo and some of the other Sesame Street characters, the Web site kit
includes posters, videos, music, and more.
Beginning in 2008, the Alaska National Guard Family Program is
coordinating a video project in which parents, prior to deployment, are
filmed reading books aloud. The video is then burned to DVD and
delivered to their children, along with the book, for shared reading
time. The benefits are invaluable. Children will be able to feel their
parent's presence and continue to bond though far apart. This emotional
connection to the parent may also perpetuate a joy of reading, as this
shared experience evolves into cherished memories.
"We provide military families with a variety of 'coping tools' that
each family can best use to grow positively in the absence of a loved
one during military deployment," said Boltz. "A trainer I regularly
work with helps families recognize that every time there is a change, a
'new normal' forms. Promoting family resiliency, before, during and
after military separation is what we do."
