Military children and families often face unique challenges, including extended separations, deployments, temporary duty assignments, frequent moves, permanent change in stations, and fast-paced changes to home life and routines. When a parent/caregiver is deployed, especially to a combat zone, this can be one of the most significant stressors on children and families. Many are also navigating experiences of grief and loss related to combat-related deaths, ambiguous loss, sickness, and more. When a trauma occurs, military families might experience additional challenges emotionally, socially, behaviorally, and physically. Although most military children demonstrate remarkable resilience, they may experience mental health issues or challenges due to these unique stressors. The NCTSN has resources to help parents and caregivers support the needs of military children and families.

For Military Parents and Caregivers: Supporting Your Children Throughout Deployment 
Provides military parents and caregivers with several ways to mitigate the negative effects of deployment including maintaining well-being, fostering positive family dynamics, and using effective parenting strategies. When a parent/caregiver is deployed or faces an increased operational tempo, especially to a combat zone, this can be one of the most significant stressors on a military family. Although military children may exhibit behavioral and emotional changes, including worry about the safety of their deployed parent/caregiver (and even you), most military children will demonstrate remarkable resilience.

Understanding Child Trauma and Resilience: For Military Parents and Caregivers
This fact sheet offers military parents and caregivers information about child trauma and strength, including information about what traumatic experiences are, how they impact military families, and common reactions children or teens may have. It has a checklist for parents and caregivers to use to help keep track of behaviors their child or teen may be exhibiting as well as questions to ask providers about treatment services. The fact sheet also includes questions military parents or caregivers may have about supporting their child after a traumatic event and tips for starting discussions with children of different ages.

Talking to Children about War
Offers information for caregivers on how to talk to children about war. This fact sheet includes the potential impact and considerations when talking to children about war, how to start the conversation, understanding media coverage, and how to foster resilience. Also available in Ukrainian, Russian, German, Japanese, Hungarian, and Polish

Working Effectively with Military Families: 10 Key Concepts All Providers Should Know
Outlines the top ten things to keep in mind when working with military families. This tip sheet includes information on family separation, stigma about mental health care, access to programs, involving peers and civilian providers and more.

Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event 
Describes how young children, school-age children, and adolescents react to traumatic events and offers suggestions on how parents and caregivers can help and support them. Also available in Spanish, Dari, Pashto, Ukranian, Russian, German, Japanese, Arabic, Polish, and ASL.

Talking to Youth When Scary Things Happen
Offers guidance on talking with children and youth when scary things happen. This fact sheet includes information on checking in with yourself, clarifying your goal, providing information, reflecting, asking helpful questions, going slow, labeling emotions, validating, and reducing media exposure.

Helping Military Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Parents
Offers information on military children grieving the loss of a loved one. This tip sheet describes how military children dealing with trauma and grief responses may be feeling and what parents can do to help. Also available in Ukrainian and Russian.

Helping Military Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Educators
This tip sheet describes how military children dealing with trauma and grief responses may be feeling and what educators and school staff can do to help.

Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for Military Parents or Caregivers
Offers information to military parents and caregivers on Childhood Traumatic Grief. This fact sheet outlines how children grieve, what Childhood Traumatic Grief is, who develops Childhood Traumatic Grief, the signs a child might have Childhood Traumatic Grief, and what military parents or caregivers can do to help.

Supporting Military Children with Traumatic Grief
Provides an overview of issues specific to military culture and family life, describes two models for treating military children with traumatic grief, and highlights a service member's experience. This webinar discusses unique military related stressors, like traumatic grief following the death of a caregiver from combat or non-combat situations.