On April 1st, Sesame Workshop will present a new PBS primetime special, Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change, featuring Queen Latifah, John Mayer and Elmo. This half-hour special tells stories of service members who return home with injuries, visible and invisible, and explores the heroic struggles their families face in discovering a new way of finding a “new normal.” It salutes the extraordinary courage and strength of these military families and offers the general public a powerful glimpse into what they often must endure. The special will air on PBS on April 1, 2009 at 8PM (check local listings) in conjunction with April as the “Month of the Military Child.”

In 2008 the FMLA was amended in two ways to provide additional entitles for Military Families.  First, it allows an employee to take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for certain family members in the military who suffer a serious injury or illness in the line of duty.

Second, the NDAA permits an employee to take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave for "any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the spouse, or a son, daughter, or parent of the employee is on active duty (or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty) in the Armed Forces in support of a contingency operation."

The "qualified exigency" includes the following:

(1) Short-notice deployments (seven or fewer days notice);
(2) Military events (e.g. ceremonies, briefings);
(3) Childcare/school (e.g. making arrangements on account of call to duty);
(4) Financial/legal arrangements related to the call to duty;
(5) Counseling related to the call to duty;
(6) R & R leave (up to five days);
(7) Post-deployment activities (e.g. arrival ceremonies, briefings);
(8) Additional activities if permitted by the employer.

The Department of Labor has published a document that provides additional details which can be access on their website.

Army Reserve Families have to manage a multitude of personal and financial decisions related to mobilization, deployment and return to civilian jobs. The USAA Educational Foundation is a 501(3)c organization that provides consumer information on important personal and financial issues. With a reputation for providing credible and objective information, the USAA Educational Foundation can help military members and their families during life’s major milestones. The foundation was established by the USAA, which provides competitively priced financial planning, insurance, investments and banking products to members of the U.S. military and their families and has 6.4 million members. To learn more, visit the USAA Educational Foundation.

Health Net developed My Life, a Kid's Journal designed for military children with deployed parents or loved ones. The colorful 44-page journal guides children through the process of formulating and making sense of their feelings during a loved one’s deployment and helps kids establish important dialogue with their parents. The journal also serves as a keepsake for the child or as a gift to their special person after deployment.

Families can download free copies from the internet or copies can be requested.  Visit Health Net for more information or to print out a copy.

Sending the kids off to a FREE summer camp is easy on the budget! Operation Purple camps have created lots of opportunities for children of deployed Soldiers to have fun and meet new friends. In 2008, there were 100 weeks of camp held in 62 locations in 37 states and territories.

Camper registration begins March 24th for all Operation Purple camp locations. On March 24th all details on how to register and the necessary forms to apply for camp will be available on the Operation Purple website. Apply early to insure that your child gets a space. There is also an email sign up that parents can register for to be reminded when the applications are available.

It is difficult on the entire family when a loved one is deployed, but the time after that father, mother, husband, or wife returns home is often the most challenging of all. Recognizing this, the National Military Family Association is piloting two Operation Purple® Family Retreats. These free, four-day retreats are set in a National Park using nature’s classroom, where families will have opportunities to strengthen and renew relationships, explore their natural surroundings, and participate in fun family-focused activities.

Operation Purple Family Retreat participants will be paired with highly specialized field science educators who will guide families through various activities such as nature hikes, canoeing, campfires, beach exploration, arts and crafts, and challenge activities. Families will have opportunities to communicate, work as a team, and reconnect while exploring and learning about the environment.

Additionally, activities which will highlight areas of strength and resilience in the family and promote family growth will also be provided. Families will work together to strengthen their relationship through problem solving, goal setting, and communication activities.

First priority will go to nuclear families (Soldier, spouse, children) whose Soldier has previously been deployed and has returned from deployment within twelve months of the beginning of the retreat, March 2009. Eligible deployment return time period is March 2008 through March 2009. Visit the NFMA web site for more information.

Battlemind training prepares Soldiers for what they are likely to see, to hear, to think and to feel while deployed or in combat — by describing the worst-case scenario.

In addition to preparing the Soldier for deployment, there are a number of videos – many of them animated – that are directed to the special needs of children, spouses, significant others and grand parents. The videos provide added insight and training for family readiness before a deployment and also for the reunion and return to civilian life. Battlemind training addresses safety concerns, relationship issues, normalized combat-related mental health reactions and symptoms—along with teaching Soldiers when to seek mental health support for themselves or for their buddies.

Information regarding the PDHA, the Post Deployment Health Assessment and the PHHRA, the reassessment are also available. To learn more about Battlemind Training, visit the Battlemind web portal.

Reunion briefings help families to set realistic and positive expectations. Participating in a briefing prepares Soldiers and Family Members for the challenges of homecoming and reunion—minimizing problems and maximizing positive aspects.

Briefings topics include the importance of communication, TRICARE and transitional health care benefits, United Concordia, reemployment rights, and information on the emotional issues associated with a reunion.

Army Reserve Family Programs has consolidated links and information sources on the web portal for easy reference. Visit the Army Reserve Family Programs web portal Virtual Brief to learn more about the Five Phases of Homecoming and Reunion, DEERS, Chaplain Resources, Veterans Affairs, Military Family Life Consultants, Financial Matters, Reemployment Rights, Military OneSource, and Child and Youth Services.