The military life isn’t easy, but for the men and women who choose to serve, the need to take care of their children is just as important as anyone else. Because of the nature of life in the service, there are special precautions that they must take to ensure that their children have what they need even when the servicemember is called to handle duties that pull them away.
One thing that parents in the military must do is establish a family care plan. Even if you only have your child part time because of a custody order, you still need one of these plans filed with your commanding officer so that there is a structure to follow if you are deployed or have other duties come up suddenly.
What’s the main topic of the family care plan?
You need to have someone who can watch your children if you can’t because of your military duties. The family care plan establishes two arrangements for the children. One is a short-term arrangement that involves a person who lives close to your duty station watching the children for up to 30 days. The other is a long-term arrangement that involves longer periods, but the person named for this doesn’t have to live close to your duty station.
What else is included in the family care plan?
You should have any information the person who is caring for your children will need to ensure they have what they need. Outlining the routine, including what time the kids go to school, what bus they take and information about extracurricular information is necessary. You should also provide medical information for the child, such as what allergies they have, what doctors they see and which medications they take. If the child has a chronic health conditions, this should also be noted.
Other points might be necessary so think about your child’s needs when you complete the family care plan so that it adequately addresses them. You have to ensure that it complies with your parenting plan that governs child custody. In most cases, your child’s other parent is going to be the person who gets the children if you are called away on duty.