An Overview of Military Youth and Families: How Social Workers Help
April Feguson LCSW-C
Senior Practice Associate: Children and Adolescents
December 2025
Introduction
Military service is sacrificial and appreciated by many community members. Military service includes benefits, such as health care and career development but service may also include relocation, deployment and temporary family separation. Whether there are one or two parents serving as military personnel, the entire family is impacted by challenges associated with service.
Military families benefit from specific support that meet their needs and build strengths to ensure well-being. The demands of military service can be stressful, and these challenges are often compounded by the responsibility of providing for family. The social work profession has a long history of support for service members and veterans, and the profession is still equipped to support the military and their family members today.
The military recognizes the need to support families and has resources in place to offer mental health and case management services that help families thrive (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013). Family readiness supports military readiness, and service members are mission ready when their families are stable and well (Gonzales, Jones, & Sheldon, 2025). While social workers offer support directly to service members and veterans, some children, youth and family (CYF) social workers will support service members by taking care of their families through various services.
Challenges Faced by Military Families
The military consist of six branches that include Airforce, Amry, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy and Space Force.As of 2023, there are about 2 million active duty and reserve military personnel and 2.5 million family members (spouses and children) connected to them (Department of Defense (DOD), 2023). Service members and their families face unique stressors associated with deployment cycles and dangerous mission assignments, such as combat service. CYF social workers benefit from understanding common challenges facing this population, including relocation, deployment, reintegration, military culture and isolation, and child maltreatment.
Relocation
Moving creates many similar challenges for civilian and military families. Relocation can cause unemployment, lost relationships, education changes, health and mental health service disruptions, new financial burdens and many other family related adjustments. A service member relocates with or without family depending on job requirements and military families move about 2.5 times more than civilians (Huebner, 2019).
Multiple relocations result in educational changes for young people and on average military children change schools 9 times (Frederick & Siebler, 2022). Within the Department of Defense Education Activity schools’ military youth receive continuity of education that supports a transitory lifestyle but only 13% of youth attend these schools on military installations (Huebner, 2019).Majority of military youth attend civilian schools and are not always surrounded by military culture. Some schools may not have a good understanding of military life and military specific benefits. School districts also have different graduation requirements and families need to navigate the school system so youth can graduate on schedule. Schools also provide differing catalogues of extracurricular activities throughout states and jurisdictions, so families must review their options. Starting a new school can also create challenges when youth lose social connections and are unable to develop new relationships.
Active-duty spouses also face relocation stressors and an annual survey from Blue Star Families highlights challenges faced by active-duty spouses. Spouses experience employment challenges due to a lack of available and affordable childcare. Survey data shows that 39% of spouses reported that it takes three or more months to find employment and spousal unemployment can contribute to family financial strain (Blue Star Families, 2024). Military spouses may also be separated from families of origin and have limited local support systems to manage the challenges of parenting (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013).
Deployment
Military families are impacted by deployment cycles that result in separation from family members. During deployment, one caregiver may have more responsibility placed on them as they shift to the primary caregiving role. The non-deployed spouse and family will have to adjust to the service members’ absence and manage changing home and family dynamics. The non-deployed spouse may experience mental health challenges running the home as a single parent and dealing with isolation (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013). There is also an emotional toll on families amid separation and youth may have concerns about danger facing the deployed service member (Frederick & Siebler, 2022). One potential cause for youth’s increased anxiety during deployment is the exposure to media coverage detailing the danger and loss of life in service (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013).
Reintegration
Children and adolescents are at risk of academic and behavioral challenges, and anxiety symptoms not just due to deployments but also family reintegration (Strong & Weiss, 2017). Reintegration is the process of service members returning home from deployment (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2015). Families experience happiness and excitement when a service member returns home. However, returning home can bring new family stressors. Returning members may have mental and/or physical injuries associated with service and physical and mental wounds may impact family dynamics and shift caretaking roles. Families may need to start therapeutic services and start new treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or other mental health symptoms or physical injuries.
Military Culture and Isolation
Culture is a set of values and beliefs shared by a group of individuals and military culture includes structure, authority, and discipline. These shared values create a unique experience for service members and their families. This can create a feeling of disconnect with civilian culture and services that do not understand the demands of military life. Connection with other miliary families is a protective factor for youth and their families (Gonzales, Jones, & Sheldon, 2025). These bonds create space for shared understanding and a sense of belonging and community but missing these similar connections can create feelings of isolation.
Child Maltreatment
Stress related to military service can place children at risk for maltreatment. Maltreatment is linked to intimate partner violence and alcohol abuse, and both are more prevalent in military populations (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2015). Military families that experience multiple deployments, young couples, and families with small support systems are risk factors for abuse and neglect (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013).
The military is committed to family stability and has several Department of Defense programs to respond to abuse. The Family Advocacy Program (FAP) is a significant element to prevent and investigate reports of abuse in the military. In FY 2023, roughly 49% of reports to FAP were for neglect, 27% were for physical abuse, 19% were for emotional abuse and 3% were for sexual abuse (Department of Defense, 2024).
Social Work Services to Support Military Families
Given the challenges associated with military service, CYF social workers need skills and resources to serve the mental and behavioral health needs of military families. CYF social workers can assist families by providing mental health support, education support for k-12 youth and by referring families to services tailored to engage the military population.
Social Work Mental Health Services
A RAND study examining military children and youth needs found common behavioral challenges include hyperactivity, inattention, aggression, and other mental health concerns (Martin, Trail, & Jeffries, 2025). To address these challenges, children should be assessed to determine the best treatments and interventions that improve behavior and reduce mental health symptoms. It can also be helpful to include questions about military service on intake forms and clarify military terminology with service members (Military Family Research Institute).
It is also important to acquire knowledge about PTSD, military values/beliefs, brain injuries, suicide, and service-related sleep disturbances (Military Family Research Institute). These are some common challenges found in research related to the miliary and mental health services. In addition, PTSD is more common among veterans than civilians and 7% of veterans are diagnosed with PTSD. (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d.). Continuous professional development is also a key component to working with military populations and “Military Culture: Enhancing Clinical Competence” is a helpful resource from the Center for Deployment Psychology. This free online course covers structure of the military, characteristics of the military population, military culture, experience and lifestyle.
CYF social workers should also utilize evidence-based treatment modalities to improve mental health. Examples of evidence-based treatments for youth include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectal behavioral therapy and family therapy (The Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 2025). Examples of evidence-based treatment for military populations include Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Therapy for Suicidal Patients and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (The Center for Deployment Psychology, n.d.).
Social Work Education Services for K-12 Youth
The majority of military youth attend civilian schools (Huebner, 2019) and benefit from tailored support that addresses specific challenges related to miliary life. The NASW Practice Standards for School Social Workers can be applied to military families in the school environment. A few sections from the standards and example applications to support school aged military youth are outlined for school social workers (SSWs).
Guiding Principles 3. Multitier Interventions: The multitier model is an intervention and engagement framework that guides SSW and categorizes primary, secondary and tertiary interventions. Primary interventions are school wide interventions that impact the entire school community. Secondary interventions are for smaller groups and specific interventions tailored to certain students. Tertiary interventions are individualized plans and treatment.
This framework can assist military youth in various capacities. Educating school personnel about the unique experiences of military youth can serve as a primary intervention (Frederick & Siebler, 2022). Secondary interventions are military youth groups and peer-to-peer engagement strategies that target the military community and foster a sense of belonging. Specific tertiary interventions such as Individual Education Plans (IEP), behavioral plans and/or referrals to community mental health services can be used to benefit military youth experiencing mental health and behavioral health symptoms.
Standard 3. Assessment: SSWs use assessments to determine the best interventions for students’ educational well-being. Implementing thorough assessments strategies assist SSWs to gather the necessary information to support military youth. As part of a broader school assessment, SSWs should determine how many military youths attend the school and determine if there are any gaps in services. SSWs can update intake assessments to capture data regarding military service, number of relocations/deployments, reintegration process, and relevant past or current mental health challenges (NASW, 2012).
Standard 4. Intervention: Interventions are based on the results from intakes and assessments. The interventions should consider military culture and address any challenges associated with service. Goals and outcomes should be clearly communicated to families and students and agreed upon. Interventions should follow the multitier framework and should establish Tier, 1 Tier 2 or Tier 3 levels of support.
Interventions may also require collaboration with existing Department of Defense (DOD) programs or community resources that are specific to military families. Some families may be enrolled or need to enroll in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP). This DOD program provides support to families with special medical and educational needs, and enrollment is required for active duty that qualify (Rubin, Weiss, & Coll, 2013). School personnel may work with families to support their involvement with EFMP if needed (Military One Source, n.d.).
Standard 10. Cultural Competence: Cultural competence requires avoiding assumptions, asking questions and continuous learning. Military culture is a system of value and beliefs set by branches of service and unique experiences shared by military families. Within branches of service each branch has its own culture and language (Military Family Research Institute). SSWs should value the diverse experience of military families and gain knowledge that informs work with this population.
Social Work Referral Services
CYF social workers should connect military youth with specific resources that cater to military families. Resources that are familiar with military life and culture can address challenges related to service. In addition to notifying families of miliary benefits and services, CYF social workers may benefit from collaborations with organizations and community services that understand service members, veterans and their families. A list of useful organizations and resources are described in more detail below.
Faith-Based Support: A guide from the Military Family Research Institute highlights how faith-based organizations can support military communities through prayer and opportunities for personal spiritual growth. In addition, there are 3000 military chaplains available to offer support for the branches of services (Military Family Research Institute). Life’s challenges may lead families to seek comfort, peace, community, or spiritual meaning by engaging with faith-based institutions and systems of belief. Faith-based support may address existential needs of military families such as understanding larger purpose, deeper meanings of life and moral compasses to guide family decisions. Families may also lean on faith as a form of grief and bereavement support. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center for Faith (CF) also address suicide, homelessness, connections with support groups and tools to help religious institutions support military families.
Family Advocacy Program (FAP): FAP is a DOD program that provides family strengthening services and responds to concerns of abuse and neglect. Although FAP does not take the place of a local social service agency in addressing child abuse, some FAP agencies have collaborative relationships with social services departments and utilize MOUs to clarify responses from each agency (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2015). Within FAP there are specific programs that address young children, domestic violence and counseling. The New Parent Support Program is a home visiting service for new parents of children aged 0-3 years old. The home visitors offer case management support and early interventions. The victim advocacy program offers support to victims of domestic violence. Victim Advocates lead support groups, offer counseling and assist with filing reports when needed (Military OneSource, 2024). FAP is also responsible for domestic violence prevention through education, training and awareness campaigns (Kamarck, Ott, & Sacco, 2019). FAP programs also include preventative and early intervention approaches to strengthening families and access to Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) (Army MWR, n.d.).
Military Discounts: Businesses, local and corporate, offer military discounts or special rates to support service members. Having a list of corporate military discounts can ease financial burdens for families. Some benefits may include reduced costs on tickets, travel, cell phone service, dining discounts and many more. Alerting families to these benefits is helpful and easily accessible via online searches. Some promotional discounts also correlate with national holidays like Veterans’ Day.
Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR): MWR is a military program that offers a range of activities that support family connectedness. Service members spend time away from family and navigate changing family dynamics, but MWR offers enjoyable family activities to support family wellness and togetherness. Depending on availability, MWR offers indoor and outdoor recreation, such as bowling, canoeing, games, food and cabin rentals. This resource can be beneficial for bonding and making special memories for military families, and veterans.
K-12 School Liaisons: School liaisons assist service members in meeting educational needs. Their work aims to help families choose the best school options when transitioning duty stations or when needing more educational support. When families relocate, they register for new schools and students adjust to new educational environments. Liaisons work with families to help students transfer credits, graduate on schedule and join school extra-curricular activities, sometimes mid school year. Liaisons can also help families apply protections from the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission that sets guidance around student enrollment and transfer policies (Military One Source, n.d.).
Sesame Street for Military Families: Sesame Street has an online resource hub that offers support to military families. The hub includes videos and guidance that is useful for families and professionals. Some topics include deployment support, family wellbeing, grief support, and children’s wellbeing. There are also printable activities and games to help families manage family routines, express feelings, and celebrate birthdays even during deployment.
Zero to Three: Zero to Three offers a range of resources that support the wellbeing of infants and toddlers and specific resources for military families and professionals. There are resources online including data, reports, webinars, toolkits and a downloadable app. Babies on the Homefront is a free app, with resources by age, child development support, play time ideas, and other topics related to young children. The first years of life, from infancy through toddlerhood, are essential for fostering healthy attachments and CYF social workers can use Zero to Three resources to support family engagement in early developmental years.
Future Considerations
Space Force is the newest branch of armed services and was founded in 2019. Space Force accounts for 0.4% of the total number of DOD Active-Duty and Selected Reserve Personnel (Department of Defense (DOD), 2023). As this branch of the military grows there will be opportunities to learn about the unique benefits and challenges related to Space Force service.
An AI-based search resulted in the following statement “There’s very little peer-reviewed research that looks specifically at social-worker services for U.S. Space Force (Guardians).” Currently some services for Space Force are provided by the Air Force, but future data and research about Space Force service members will be helpful to professionals (Gonzales, Jones, & Sheldon, 2025). With any new societal development, the social work profession should be concerned about how the profession can support new communities. There may be opportunities for research and studies that provide more specific data and findings around social work services to this branch of the military. With more studies, an update of the NASW Standards for Social Work with Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families could reflect current research and best practices to support all branches.
Conclusion
Despite challenges, military families are resilient and have a lot of strengths. These families handle change with dignity, and they have a strong sense of duty and service to America (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2015). There are many social work skills that can ease the challenges of military service and improve quality of life for military families. For CYF social workers, knowledge of military culture and military serving resources are key to providing quality care for clients. CYF social workers should take a strength-based approach in offering interventions that promote resilience, family togetherness and overall wellbeing. The goal for military members is for them to be healthy and well and the social work profession has many opportunities to contribute to military family wellness.
Note: Since the research and drafting of this document, the Administration issued an executive order to change the name of the Department of Defense (DOD) to the Department of War (DOW). The order requires the Secretary of War to submit a "recommendation on the actions required to permanently change the name."
Resources
NASW Resources
NASW Standards for Social Work with Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families
https://naswpress.org/product/nasw-standards-for-social-work-practice-with-service-members-veterans-and-their-families/
Practice Standards for School Social Workers
https://naswpress.org/product/practice-standards-for-school-social-workers/
Social Work Advocates: Unhoused U.S. Military Veterans Deserve Better Services
https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Social-Work-Advocates/2025-Fall-Issue/Unhoused-US-Military-Veterans-Deserve-Better-Services?_zs=B9iMn1&_zl=SfHTA
Social Work Talks Podcast EP62: Ending Domestic Violence in the Military and Beyond
https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Social-Work-Talks-Podcast/EP62-Campaign-to-End-Domestic-Violence-in-the-Military-and-Beyond
Other Resources
Center for Deployment Psychology: Self-Paced eLearning Courses
https://deploymentpsych.org/content/self-paced-elearning-courses
Domestic Abuse Impact on Children
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/podcasts/military-onesource/domestic-abuse-impact-on-children/
Military and DOD Child Care Assistance
https://www.childcareaware.org/families/military-child-care-assistance-programs/
The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University: How to Help Series
https://www.mfri.purdue.edu/resources/how-to-help-series/
Sesame Street for Military Families
https://sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org/
Zero To Three
https://www.zerotothree.org/our-work/militaryfamilies/
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