Children with parents in the military have unique experiences, which may include separation from a parent, frequent moving of house or school, caring for a sibling or parent, taking responsibility for the household or sudden deployment to a combat zone. All of these things can affect the way children lead their lives, both now and in the future. They face higher levels of anxiety and stress. Their health and their ability to learn may be disrupted, as well as interruptions to the continuity of their school and health records. All of this can be magnified when parents are deployed to armed conflicts overseas.
Living and working in Kent as part of a military family means you get access to support from the Kent School Health and Health Visiting Service. The teams are well placed to support children of military families to improve their physical and emotional health.
A service child has parents or carers who are service personnel:
- in HM Regular Armed Forces
- in full commitment as part of the full-time reserve service
- veterans
- if one of the parents died while serving in the Armed Forces, and the pupil receives a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme.
The Armed Forces Covenant
Kent Community Health Foundation Trust has signed the Armed Forces Covenant. This emphasises that the whole nation has a moral obligation to members of the armed forces and their families, and how they should expect to be treated. For the armed forces community, the covenant is about removing disadvantages to ensure armed forces and their families get the same outcome as the civilian community.
Families who might need further support
Children with additional or complex health needs may find continuity of care a problem due to regular moves. They can feel isolated or find it difficult to cope without the support from the extended family or local community networks. Kent School Health offers one-to-one support based on your child’s unique needs. Visit our special educational needs page for more information on the support available for you and your child.
Useful resources
Little Troopers has lots of hands on advice, fantastic resources and ways to support military families.