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."
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