Military Families and Spouses Resources
Family Programs
- Army OneSource
- Army OneSource provides programs and services to Army families.
- Coaching Into Care
- Coaching Into Care provides a “coaching” service for family and friends of Veterans who see that their Veteran needs help. Coaching involves helping the caller figure out how to motivate their Veteran to seek services. The service is free and provided by licensed clinical social workers and psychologists. The goal of the service is to help the Veteran and family members find the appropriate services in their community.
- National Fatherhood Initiative
- The National Fatherhood Initiative provides resources to military fathers and their families to prepare them for deployment and post deployment reunion.
- Army Family Readiness Group
- The AFRG is a secure website that provides military family members with tools to access documents, view photos/videos, participate in forums, and gain important information about the Army unit that their Soldier/DA Civilian belongs to 24/7 from anywhere in the world.
- Heart Link Program
- The focus of this program is to help Air Force spouses acclimate to the Air Force and military environment.
Educational Assistance
- Transfer of Post 9/11 G.I. Bill Benefits to Dependents
- The transferability option of the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill allows service members to transfer unused benefits to their spouses or dependent children.
- The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Program (MyCAA)
- MyCAA is a component of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program. It is a career development and employment assistance program that helps military spouses pursue licenses, certificates, certifications or Associate's Degrees.
- Survivors and Dependents Assistance (DEA)
- DEA provides 45 months of education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. The benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training, and spouses may take a correspondence course. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.
- Army Emergency Relief – Educational Assistance
- AER is the Army’s own financial assistance organization. The Spouse Program offers educational grants to military spouses. As of December 1, 2011 the Overseas Spouse Education Assistance Program and the Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program were consolidated into the Spouse Program.
- General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program
- Provides $2000 in grants to selected sons and daughters of active duty, Title 10 AGR/Reserve, Title 32 AGR performing full-time active duty, retired, retired reserve and deceased Air Force members; spouses (stateside) of active duty members and Title 10 AGR/Reservists; and surviving spouses of deceased personnel for their undergraduate studies.
Employment Assistance
- Air Force Aid Society Spouse Employment Program
- The Spouse Employment Program provides entry-level job training to AD Air Force spouses.
Financial Assistance
- Army Emergency Relief – Financial Assistance
- AER is the Army’s own financial assistance organization. It provides financial assistance to dependents of soldiers on extended active duty leave, family members of eligible reserve soldiers and national guard members, family members of eligible retired soldiers and reservists, and widows, widowers and orphans of Soldiers who died while on active duty or after retirement. AER provides interest free loans service members and immediate family members in need of financial assistance.
- Falcon Loan – Air Force Aid Society
- The Falcon Loan provides up to $750 in financial emergency help for basic living expenses (rent, utilities, food), car repairs, emergency travel, or other approved needs.
Military Children
- Youth Employment Skills (YES)
- The YES program is an on-base volunteer program for high school students and is offered at selected Air Force bases. This program is a joint effort between Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) and Air Force Family Member Programs Flight, and it offers high school students an opportunity to learn work skills, earn dollar credits toward their post-secondary education/training, and have a positive impact on their base community.
- Bundles for Babies
- This program provides active duty Air Force member and their spouses with a family readiness class and upon completion of the class the family receives a free "bundle" that the Air Force Aid Society purchased from the Gerber Company with needed infant supplies.
- Child Care for Volunteers
- Air Force Aid Society provides funding for child care through the Child Care for Volunteers program by offsetting child care expenses for volunteers who support programs which benefit the entire base community.
- Childcare for PCS (Permanent Change of Station)
- The Air Force Aid Society will pay for 20 hours of child care (per child) in Air Force certified Family Child Care home on base or in an Air Force affiliated home off base for families in the process of a PCS move.
- Give Parents a Break Program
- The Air Force Aid Society, in cooperation with Air Force Services, funds a monthly "Give Parents a Break" program at most Air Force child care and youth centers.
Support Groups
- Marine Moms
- An online support group and forum for mothers of United States Marines.
Other Resources
- Car Care Because We Care
- This program helps keep the primary family vehicle of deployed active duty Air Force members in top running condition by providing preventive vehicle maintenance.
- Phone Home Program
- Phone Home Program provides prepaid calling cards to single and married Air Force members who have been deployed for 30 days or more in the Area of Responsibility (AOR), so they can make phone calls to family or friends during deployment and make emergency contacts when necessary, without added expense to the service member.