Working With Military Spouses, Families, Children

National Military Family Association 

National Military Family Association (NMFA) has been in existence for the last 49 years, providing a voice for the military families ( National Military Family Association, 2015, p. 1) . The association’s track record has proven that they are capable of supporting the service persons, their spouses and the children ( National Military Family Association, 2018, p. 2). The staff takes the trouble to understand the concerns of their target audience so that they effectively roll out programs that are relevant. The intention of this program is to have members of a military family “cope with the effects of separation and any other consequence of having a spouse or parent in the military” (Hall, 2016, p. 51). The kind of understanding created is essential in making the military families feel that their pain is being shared by other people in public. The NMFA has programs that have been embraced by a vast majority of military person’s spouses and their children. The programs have been successful due to partnerships with other agencies and well-wishers. 

Goals and Objectives 

According to the National Military Family Association, (2015, p. 1), the following are the jails and objective of the NMFA; 

to provide means to military families to advance their worth of life 

To assist military spouses to accomplish their education and occupational aims. 

To fight for welfares and platforms that strengthens and secures Uniformed Services families and echo the nation’s admiration for their dedication. 

To advocate for the military relations and enhance and reignite relationships. 

To encourage resilience, communication, and coping. 

These objectives and goals are in line with the intentions of the NMFA. They are all geared towards having better lives for the uniformed personnel, their spouses, and their children. The program ensures that the families of the military people do not lag in life and fail to achieve their dreams due to the consequences of the military work ( National Military Family Association, 2015, p. 2). The objectives are also measurable since reliable feedback can be received from the clients who have participated in the programs — the rates of engagement and enrollment to the program are another way of measuring the objectives (Clever & Segal, 2013, p. 31). 

Summary of the Program 

The National Military Family Association was established in 1969. A small number of military wives were worried about the well-being of their widowed friends and relations. They organized and promoted the establishment of the famous Survivor Benefit Plan, which was adopted into law in 1971 ( National Military Family Association, 2018, p. 2). This first step was a hallmark in their history, and they have always done their best to find the ideal remunerations and attentions which military families deserve. 

The National Military Family Association is a group that is supported in the public domain. It manages to be the leader in the arena majorly due to the professionalism exhibited. The priority in the association’s programs is directed towards supporting military families whom the pioneers are also part of. The staff and board membership are composed of spouses, parents, and family members who best understand their clients. This organization is a true voice for the military families, and it shoulders the task of empowering husbands, wives, and children to be informed and seek their remunerations ( National Military Family Association, 2018, p. 3) . Basing on the information from members, the “organization meets the requirements of service personnel and own families with astute recommendations, inventive programs, and ordinary struggles to improve the excellence in the sector of military families” (Hall, 2016, p. 28) 

The NMFA utilizes the tools of scholarships for spouses and a free camp for kids. The organization is seen to have grown from its conception to the current position. It prides itself in the fact that the majority of its present members are military spouses and earlier service members, meaning that they are very well acquainted with the types of problems that the client may be facing. The first step that the organization takes is to identify loopholes in the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which is revised to take account of military-related vacation ( National Military Family Association, 2015, p. 2) . It then advocates for the end of confiscation through the petitions to the Congress and House of Representatives. The well-being of the military family is taken care of through these means. 

Another notable millstone is in the championing for proper caregiving for wounded warriors. The organization shared tips with the members on how best to treat these causalities when they arise. From real-life stories, the NMFA Association was successful in pushing against the Emergency Room Misuse Fee. The scholarship opportunities are also an insightful way enlightening the families of the service men and women. The scholarships have registered an increasing number of individuals over the years ( National Military Family Association, 2018, p. 3) . The Operation Purple Program which was started in 2004 has attracted many kids and facility members. These indicate excellence that the program is associated with. 

P rogram’s Financial Support Source 

This NMFA organization is exempted from taxation recorded in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As Schmuldt et al. (2013, p. 23) state it is qualified to collect donations deductible as generous contributions for federal income tax dedications. The association meets all the required 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for Charity Accountability. This has resulted in the high rating that the organization receives from the public and also research bureaus. The public feels secure when they direct their resources to such trustworthy organizations. The sources of revenue for the running of the NMFA are received through direct mails, organized fundraising events, grants, intensive related marketing, and membership appeals. 

Methods and types of data 

To gather feedback about the effectiveness of their programs, the National Military Family Association relies majorly on the member's systematic reviews after completion of a given event ( National Military Family Association, 2018, p. 2) . The target group for the NMFA programs is the spouses of the military persona; and their children. There are methods of seeking information on the effectiveness of the program from the members who have associated with or participated in the program. The data collected can either be qualitative or quantitative but bother approaches are critical in determining this factor. 

Qualitative 

Qualitative research focuses majorly on the experiences, feeling, and opinions of the affected persons. This method of research can be time-consuming and expensive because it is not straightforward in the way answers to research questions are presented. To gather data on the effectiveness of the National Military Family Association using this method, I would utilize focus groups. These groups are efficient in saving time and resources, obtaining reliable information and allows for group dynamism which ignites greater insights compared to individual interviews. I would choose two groups, one of the military person’s spouses and another of the NMFA staff for adequate depth and breadth of information. Each group would consist of seven members to improve on efficacy. 

Quantitative 

This method of research is effective in understanding the NMFA well and informing hypotheses of the future. Through this method, we would know the number of satisfied members or associates and the extent to which they are satisfied. I would use the quantitative observation by noting down the numbers of people who have enrolled in the program and the number of those who regularly participate in the programs. A high number of regular participants would indicate an extensive level of effectiveness of the NMFA programs while a low or diminishing number of regular participants would indicate low effectiveness of the program. 

Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) 

The Evidence-Based Practices used in the NMFA program follows systematic procedures. These steps incorporate the outside factors and those within the organization to have the best services delivered to the client. 

Forming a question based on the needs of the clients: This question should be client-oriented, answerable, and specific enough to guide in the research ( Schmuldt et al. 2013, p. 31) . 

Finding proof to answer the posed question: There are numerous sources for information today. The NMFA utilizes the systematic reviews style that is specific to a particular group of clients and the problem that was being tackled. The systematic reviews help in gauging the effectiveness of programs to the targeted group. 

Appraising and applying evidence: From the evidence, the organization’s staff can conclude the helpfulness of the information. The evidence can then be applied in answering the question and in predicting the future. 

Evaluating the Process: it is important to evaluate the process for any loopholes and the required changes. The main source of proper evaluation is available literature, own expertise, and online sources. 

Effective elements of the Program 

Spouse Scholarships and Careers 

NMFA can help in funding education, career or entrepreneurial for military spouses. 

The scholarship program helps in preparing military spouses for significant occupations and to enhance contribution to their family’s fiscal safety. NMFA scholarships are given to spouses of affiliates of all Uniformed Personnel. Individuals receive $500, $1000and $1000 for career funding, educational degrees, and for establishing businesses respectfully. According to the National Military Family Association (2015, p. 3), the professionals who seek to be equipped with the necessary license for mental health tasks is allowed up to $2500 from the organization’s kitty. 

The organization understands that military spouses are faced with challenges of having to forego their life dreams due to the demanding military life. For example, they are often required to relocate. Hence they cannot have a stable business in a given area. The Scholarships and careers programs are, therefore, a great opportunity for these people since they can fund their education and nature their businesses to maturity. The NMFA becomes a bridge that enables these individuals’ experiences their life desires despite the challenges ( National Military Family Association, 2015, p. 2) . The spouses may not feel the impact of separation due to military operations because their welfare is well-taken care of. 

Operation Purple Programs 

The NMFA offer the  Operation Purple Camp free of charge, where kids of military parent/s are treated to some exceptional and unforgettable summer camp encounter. The program brings families to attractive open-airplanes to deliver fun family-oriented activities and the opportunity to spend quality time together. The programs include retreats for injured services personnel and their families — the kids of age 5-8 years bond with their buddies during these camps. Regardless of the age, all members of the family are well considered in the formulation of these programs. Psychologically, the programs help the child in coping with life and new status whether they are with or are separated from their military parent. 

Operation Purple Camp has attended close to 62,000 militaries children from its inception in 2004, and the recollections made last a very long period. Their journey back home is full of pride as they strive not to forget the wonderful experiences they had at the camp. 

A). Healing Adventures 

Operation Purple Healing Adventures rejoices in reviving family-fun and attachment following an injury. This is a three-day encounter that combines family-focused undertakings with outdoor explorations, such as hiking and boat riding to inspire each family’s advancements on their fresh journey after injury. The NMFAinvites the wounded, sick, hurt, medically disjointed, or physically retired military families to recombine at Healing Adventures. Families take part in exclusively designed resilient creation activities established by the American Red Cross and form memories through fun family-focused activities like mountaineering, canoeing, and also building bird nests. At the end of this program, “families go back home energized with enhanced communication skills and new memories to keep” ( Clever & Segal, 2013, p. 35) . 

b). Buddy Camps 

The kids, of a military parent, of the age between 5-8 years benefit from his program. The Operation Purple Buddy Camp (OPBC) program provides the children with their very own exceptional Operation Purple camp experience. It is clear that children may not be in a position to have the week-long camp. Hence they need to be accompanied by a favorable adult, ‘buddy,’ who may be a father, Mother, Grandparent, Aunt or Uncle ( National Military Family Association, 2018, p. 4) . The camp experiences and moments allow the child and the buddy to establish new and stronger relationships together. As Cole (2012, p. 45) states, this has proven to be a working therapy for most children struggling to accept separation from their military parent. It also creates good memories that make the child cope with future situations of separations and other related challenges. The camps are a good opportunity to try activities that the children would not try while at home. The children also get to know their buddy better hence these may prove to be the best moments in the life experiences of the child. 

c). Family Retreats 

Operation Purple Family Retreat brings families from all uniformed military personnel to stunning outdoor settings to devote the quality amount of time recoupling after a deployment, parting or during a time of shift. Sharing is another sure way of quickened healing (Schmuldt et al. 2013, p. 41). The families that participate in the NMFA retreats share their experiences on the same factor of military life. The retreat sceneries are therefore conducive for this kind of meaningful interactions. They are good at reviving good old memories of the family, the challenges they have overcome, and the optimism that the future would be much better. The very events of a single retreat are very instrumental in building resilient military families. 

Military Child Education Support 

The hard military life is very demanding such that children may be overlooked and their right to education interfered with. The NMFA child support offers the children of military parents so that they are not left behind in education by their peers ( National Military Family Association, 2018, p. 3). The children are given tips, resources, and tools to enable the discriminative services. Children are a great resource that takes time to adjust to the environments and situations (Houston et al. 2013, p. 23). The simple acts of saying goodbye to friends maybe so much emotional for the child. The NMFA is instrumental in helping the child cope with the problem of being new and meeting new friends. The program also guides in having the child adapt to the curriculum in any of the states the family relocates to. 

The  Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children  was particularly premeditated to eradicate some of the barriers for a child to achieve. It is an arrangement amongst state to offer constant treatment for military children relocating to new school districts. The program is in charge of; 

Enrollment : There is a need for the host schools to accept informal registers when enrolling a new child, rather than waiting to obtain a formal transcript from their former school. 

Placement :  A child, who was being offered special education services at their old school, should be given the same in the new school. Other assessments may later be done to ensure that the child is placed in the correct category of needs 

Attendance :  The new school districts ought to allow armed soldiers kids to miss school to attend deployment-related events. 

Eligibility :  Children of all ages are expected to continue in the grade levels they were supposed to be in their former schools. 

Graduation : Transfers are known to affect the performance of learners to some extent. Learners who transfer in their senior grades deserve a waiver of certain courses or exams necessities so that the student can graduate in good time like other peers. 

Recommendations 

1. The National Military Family Association should “extend their charity work to the home setting of the military families” (Cole, 2012, p. 20). It should be able to find out how the family lives in their homes and not only focusing on creating happiness away from the homes. When the staff has answered the critical question of whether the families lead a worthy life, then they can build on the available evidence to form hypotheses on future policymaking. 

2. The National Military Family Association should advocate for compulsory yearly paid leave for uniformed officers with young families. The NMFA should first pose a quiz to determine whether or not the young children of military families are more affected by consequences of military compared to grown-up children of military families. From the result, the board of directors can formulate a formal advocacy form with all the necessary amendments that should be made to allow the uniformed personnel more time with their young families. The success of this advocacy helps the children to be more receptive to their parents in cases where they would have been withdrawn with the thoughts that they are neglected (Houston et al. 2013, p. 70). 

3. The National Military Family Association should establish enough branches across the states for easy and efficient representation of the needs of the families of the military officers. It should first start by posing the question of whether having branches that offer services closer to the people would be more effective compared to operating from one core centralized location. The answer to the posed question would help the organization understand the people the more and decide the best services delivery method. As Cole (2012, p, 61) suggests, having branches that are close to the people is important because the services needed would be tailored to suit the particular needs of a given state. 

References 

Clever, M., & Segal, D. R. (2013). The demographics of military children and families.  The Future of Children , 13-39. 

Cole, R. F. (2012). Professional School Counselors' Role in Partnering with Military Families during the Stages of Deployment.  Journal of School Counseling ,  10 (7), n7. 

Hall, L. K. (2016).  Counseling military families: What mental health professionals need to know . Routledge. 

Houston, J. B., Pfefferbaum, B., Sherman, M. D., Melson, A. G., & Brand, M. W. (2013). Family communication across the military deployment experience: Child and spouse report of communication frequency and quality and associated emotions, behaviors, and reactions.  Journal of Loss and Trauma ,  18 (2), 103-119. 

National Military Family Association. (2015). Mental health care. 

National Military Family Association. (2018). See How We Support Our Heroes and the Families Year-Round. 

Schmuldt, L. M., Gentile, T. I., Bluemlein, J. S., FITCH III, J. C., & Sterner, W. R. (2013). The war within: One soldier’s experience, several clinician’s perspectives.  Journal of Military and Government Counseling ,  1 (1), 2-18.