Why There Needs To Be More Research On Military Children

When military personnel leave the service and begin their transition to civilian life, there are programs and support networks made available — and in some cases, this even extends to spouses.

ToolsHowever, there’s a group that’s slipping through the cracks: military children. There is a concern that health care providers need to be better educated, not just about military service, but about the effects it can have on the military family, specifically children.

“I’m fearful we’re not building out the infrastructure to follow these children when their family leaves the service” said Dr. Paula Rauch, a child psychiatrist, during the Military Child Education Coalition’s National Training Seminar, July 30, in Washington, D.C.

New research should extend to long-term studies on children, so the effects of a parent’s deployment on children can be studied and analyzed.