Our Military Kids Deployed Program The Impact on Children and Families of Deployed National Guard and Reserve Service Members

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1 Our Military Kids Deployed Program The Impact on Children and Families of Deployed National Guard and Reserve Service Members Survey Conducted: October (703)

2 ABSTRACT Objective: This survey was designed to examine the importance of extracurricular activities in mitigating the negative psychological symptoms observed in children of National Guard and Reserve Service Members during deployment. This survey is the eighth of its kind and was executed to test the accuracy and reliability of previous results. No third-party studies pertaining to extracurricular activities have focused solely on National Guard and Reserve families. Participants and Methods: Data were collected through an online survey from the families of Our Military Kids grant recipients who received funding through the Deployed Program between August 1, 2014 and September 13, There were 2627 awards granted during this time. Our Military Kids had addresses for 2571 of these, with 1686 unique addresses (due to siblings and multiple awards). Families had two weeks to complete the survey and were contacted four times. The response rate was 31% (526 responses). Results: Key Respondent findings: 14% of respondents were Service Members; 85.17% were mothers of the grant recipient. Key Service Member findings: 57.98% were Enlisted; 36.50% were in the Army National Guard; 27.76% were in the military for years; 47.91% deployed three or more times; 75.29% lived in the same state as their unit; 25.48% deployed most recently to Kuwait; 76.43% deployed most recently for 6-12 months. Key findings on the effects of deployment: 31.75% had financial difficulties during their deployment; 49.43% of non-deployed parents employment was affected; 26.62% of children s academic performance decreased; 70.34% of children experienced increased stress/anxiety. Key family findings: 48.86% had two children; 42.59% had one child receiving a grant and 42.59% had two children receiving grants. Key impacts of Our Military Kids grants: 63.88% of children s academic performance increased; 90.87% of children s symptoms improved; 96.77% of families overall well-being improved; 95.25% of Service Members morale improved; 70.34% would have experienced financial strain without the grant. Key findings on the Our Military Kids program: 39.35% heard about Our Military Kids through the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program; 96.58% thought the application process was easy; 92.40% considered it a benefit for the grant to be extended through reintegration and redeployment; 79.47% considered the grant a factor when making a decision about re-enlistment; and 99.6% would recommend Our Military Kids to other families. Conclusions: The majority of respondents reported overwhelmingly positive results of the Our Military Kids Deployed Program. Over 90% said the grant helped their children s stress and anxiety levels while nearly 64% said the grant helped increase their children s academic performance. Results showed that the Our Military Kids Program affected not only the children but their families as well. Over 96% said the grant positively impacted the entire family, and over 95% said the grant positively impacted the Service Member s morale, including 99% of Service Members themselves. Finally, 99% of respondents said they would recommend our program to other families. These results clearly show the positive impact of Our Military Kids on not only the child but on the entire family as well.

3 INTRODUCTION Our Military Kids, a nonprofit organization located in McLean, Virginia, began in 2004 as a pilot program with HHC/3-116 Infantry Regiment of the Virginia Army National Guard deployed to Afghanistan. Until 2006, Our Military Kids operated as a regional program throughout Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Starting in 2006, the program grew to include National Guard and Military Reserve families nationwide, filling an identified gap in support services to geographically dispersed military families. In 2008, the organization further expanded to include the children of severely injured Service Members and Veterans, recognizing that the stresses of families of the wounded are similar to those felt by deployed National Guard and Reserve families. Since its inception, Our Military Kids has provided over $22 million through more than 52,000 grants to over 42,000 children living in all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Of these, 48,446 grants have been to children of the Deployed, totaling over $20.5M 1. For the Deployed program, grants cover a maximum of $500 for up to six months of fees for activities in the categories of Sports, Fine Arts, Camps, Tutoring and Other Enrichment Activities. Children may receive one grant per each deployment. The purpose of the grants is to help the children cope with the stresses and negative outcomes that can result while separated from a parent during a deployment. In order to qualify for a grant, the child must have a National Guard or Reserve parent who is deployed overseas in support of an overseas contingency operation. National Guard families, unlike their Active Duty counterparts, are dispersed throughout the country. Because of these challenges with distance, National Guard and Reserve seldom have realistic access to support services offered on military bases. They also lack a network of support from other military families due to the lack of proximity. Furthermore, National Guard and Reserve spouses and children have only recently become accustomed to the long deployments associated with military life, and may not possess the requisite resiliency skills to manage the stresses of deployment. Previous studies conducted by third parties have found that keeping children involved in positive, structured and enriching activities helps ease the stress and anxiety of having a parent deployed to a war zone. DEPLOYED PROGRAM In 2005, Our Military Kids Deployed Program began by giving out fifty-eight grants and has awarded over 48,000 since then. The largest year to date was 2010 when Our Military Kids gave out over 10,000 grants. So far in 2015, Our Military Kids Deployed Program has already distributed 2,194 grants 2. The Deployed Program provides one grant per overseas deployment per child. To date, over 8,000 children (17%) have received more than one grant. Deployed Guard and Reserve Population Since 2001, it is estimated that over 2.7 million service members have deployed to War Zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of these, over a million have come from the National Guard and Reserve. Although these distinctions do not affect what happens on the battlefield, the experiences of military families back home are often quite different as National Guard and Reserve families face unique challenges. Living off base, as 70% of military families currently do, removes these families from the support and community enjoyed by those living on base. Secondly, National Guard and Reserve families have less experience dealing with deployment and re-integration and less support than active duty soldiers and families during their time apart. They are less likely to be integrated into a military social support network, less familiar with how to access military benefits and less likely to use installation-based services. In fact, less than one-half of National Guard and Reserve families surveyed reported a consistent level of support during all phases 3 of the deployment cycle 4. 1 As of 10/30/ As of 10/30/15 3 Pre-deployment, deployment, reintegration and redeployment 4 Sogomonyan, F. & Cooper, J.L. (2010). Trauma Faced by Children of Military Families: What Every Policymaker Should Know

4 Grant Activities Since its inception, Our Military Kids Deployed Program has awarded over 48,000 grants to almost 40,000 children. Eligible activities, which families choose themselves, fall into the four major categories of Fine Arts, Sports, Camps and Tutoring 5. Each year, Sports is the most popular category, followed by Arts, Camps and then Tutoring. So far in 2015, this has held true. The most popular activities are Gymnastics, Dance, Martial Arts, and Camps. I think providing an activity for our children gave them (and me) something to look forward to, when usually deployments are full of dread. Spouse of Navy Reservist Grant Recipients Age Our Military Kids grant recipients range in age from 3-18, the largest group of which is between the ages of Gender Both this year and throughout our program s history, Our Military Kids has served more girls than boys 6. Race/Ethnicity Our Military Kids does not collect information on race, ethnicity or religion. State of Residence Our Military Kids has served children in all U.S. States, Territories and the District of Columbia. Since 2005, the states with the largest numbers of grant recipients are Texas, California, Ohio, Florida, and Minnesota. OUR MILITARY KIDS DEPLOYED PROGRAM GRANT RECIPIENTS Survey Period 7 % Survey Period % NUMBER OF GRANTS GENDER MALE % % FEMALE % % AGE % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % STATE OF RESIDENCE TX % % CA % % FL % % TYPE OF ACTIVITY ARTS % % CAMPS % % SPORTS % % TUTORING % % 5 Activities that fall outside of these categories are grouped into the Other Enrichment Activity category % female; % female 7 August 1, 2014-September 13, 2015

5 PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS Methodology Data were obtained through Survey Monkey, an online survey service. The survey consisted of 31 open- and close-ended questions. Survey invitations were sent via to one member of each family, thereby preventing repeat responses. The survey was conducted between September 23, 2015-October 5, The response rate was 31%, with 526 families responding to the survey. A separate but similar survey was sent to families using Our Military Kids Severely Injured Program. Sample Families of Deployed National Guard and Reserve Service Members who received an Our Military Kids grant from August 1, 2014 through September 13, 2015 were selected for participation in this survey. Approximately 1686 families were successfully contacted and invited to complete the survey on the effectiveness of the Our Military Kids Deployed program. Families that did not provide an address on their grant applications were not contacted. Respondents Seventy-four respondents (14.06%) were Service Members, 452 were spouses of Service Members (85.93%), eight were parents of Service Members (1.52%), and twenty-one were Other (3.99%), which included children of Service Members, exspouses of Service Members and unmarried co-parents with Service Members. The majority of respondents were mothers of the grant recipients (85.17%) with the remaining respondents as fathers (11.98%), grandparents (1.90) and other (.95%). Service Member Information Gender Information on gender was not collected. State of Residence The largest representation of any state was California at 8.56% followed by Texas (5.32%), Florida (4.94%), New York (4.94%), Indiana (3.8%) and North Carolina (3.8%). Number of Children The greatest number of respondents reported having two children (48.86%). The least amount of children was one (23.57%) and the most was 7 or more (.38%). Pay Grade The majority of Service Member was Enlisted (57.98%) followed by Officers (37.26%) and Warrant Officers (4.75%). Branch of Service Survey Respondents represented all branches of the Reserve component. The largest representation was Army National Guard at 36.5% followed by Air Force Reserve (18.06%) and Army Reserve at (17.11%). Length of Military Service The largest represented group served for years (27.76%) followed by years (25.29%). The least represented group served for less than five years (4.56%).

6 Unit in the Same State as Residence The majority of respondents reported living in the same state as their Unit (75.29%). Distance to Nearest Military Installation Responses for distance from the nearest military installation were almost even. The largest response was for more than 50 miles (28.71%) followed by miles (26.81%), miles (26.43%) and less than 10 miles (18.06%). Number of Deployments The largest number of respondents reported having deployed three or more times (47.91%), followed by two times (27.76%) and one time (24.33%). Period of Most Recent Deployment The majority of most recent deployments was 6-12 months (76.43%) followed by 0-6 months (13.88%) and more than 12 months (9.7%). Location of Most Recent Deployment The location with the most responses was Kuwait (25.48%) followed by Afghanistan (22.81%). Multiple locations were listed under the Other option. SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS Total Number 526 Total % RELATIONSHIP TO CHILD MOTHER % FATHER % GRANDPARENT % PAY GRADE ENLISTED % OFFICER % WARRANT % BRANCH OF SERVICE AIR FORCE-RESERVE % AIR NATIONAL GUARD % ARMY- NATIONAL GUARD % ARMY-RESERVE % COAST GUARD-RESERVE 5.95% MARINE CORPS- RESERVE 3.57% NAVY- RESERVE % LENGTH OF SERVICE < 5 YEARS % 5-10 YEARS % YEARS % YEARS % >20 YEARS % NUMBER OF CHILDREN % % % % % % % This grant allowed my daughter to attend a camp that would otherwise have been financially difficult. Not only did she look forward to it all summer, the grant itself has inspired my children to save their money to make a future donation to help other military children. Spouse of Army Reservist

7 EFFECTS OF DEPLOYMENT There are approximately 2,000,000 children with one or both parents in the military and approximately 800,000 military parents who have experienced at least one deployment. Deployments for military members in the United States have increased in both frequency and length since 9/11. Deployments affect different families in different ways, and these effects vary from minor to more severe. At different stages of the deployment cycle, different symptoms and situations may surface. Individual family members may also experience deployment differently based on their relationship to the deployed (spouse, parent, child); age; and temperament. Very young children may exhibit separation anxiety, temper tantrums, and changes in eating habits. School-age children may experience a decline in academic performance and have mood changes or physical complaints. Adolescents may become angry and act out, or withdraw and show signs of apathy. 8 My daughter had a hard time dealing with my first CONUS deployment. While it was a financial strain we enrolled her in karate which really helped. When I was deployed OCONUS it was almost impossible to continue her karate classes. If it wasn't for Our Military Kids we wouldn't have been able to continue the classes. With this last deployment to Afghanistan my daughter faced separation issues that her karate instructor helped her work through. I couldn't imagine how she would have been affected without it. Deployed National Guard mother Financial Difficulties Many children experience deployment with little to no severe repercussions, while one in three is at high-risk for psychological issues. One in four children experiences depression and one in five experiences academic challenges. In addition to these stressors, military children, particularly those from National Guard or Reserve families, report difficulties from the lack of understanding or awareness of military culture in the communities in which they live, as well as limited military peer networks 9. Almost 32% of respondents reported that their most recent deployment caused financial difficulties for their family. Approximately four out of ten (39.92%) said the most recent deployment affected the non-deployed parent s ability to work outside of the home. Effects on Children Approximately one quarter (26.62%) of respondents reported that their child(ren) s academic performance decreased as a result of the Service Member s most recent deployment. Additionally, 70.34% reported that their children experienced stress/anxiety during this time. 8 National Center for PTSD. How Deployment Stress Affects Children and Families: Research Findings. 9 Chandra, A., Lara-Cinisomo, S., Burns, R. M., & Griffin, B.A. (2012). Assessing Operation Purple: A Program Evaluation of a Summer Camp for Military Youth. Rand Center for Military Health Policy Research.

8 Symptoms 10 Over half of all children (56.15%) experienced deployment-related symptoms in addition to anxiety and stress. The most common symptom was Acting Out/Aggression (22.34%) followed by Crying/Depression (20.48%), Attention Difficulties (17.58%), Fearfulness/Nightmares (17.06%), Headaches/Stomach Aches (13.44%), Social Withdrawal (9.62%), Changes in Appetite (7.96%) and Negative/Morbid Thoughts (6.41%). Results varied by gender. For females, Crying/Depression was the most common symptom, followed by Acting Out/Aggression and Fearfulness/Nightmares. For males, Acting Out/Aggression was the most common symptom followed by Attention Difficulties and Fearfulness/Nightmares. Results also varied by age. The three most common symptoms for each age group were as follows: 0-3- Fearfulness/Nightmares, Acting Out/Aggression, Crying/Depression 4-7- Acting Out/Aggression, Crying/Depression, Fearfulness/Nightmares Crying/Depression, Acting Out/Aggression, Attention Difficulties Acting Out/Aggression, Attention Difficulties, Headaches/Stomach Aches Social Withdrawal, Acting Out/Aggression, Crying/Depression 10 Respondents were asked to report on ALL children in the family, not just those receiving Our Military Kids Grants. The number of children represented here is 967.

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10 IMPACT OF OUR MILITARY KIDS GRANTS 63.9% of respondents reported an increase in the grant recipient s academic performance. 90.9% reported a positive impact on the grant recipient s stress/anxiety. 96.8% reported a positive increase in overall family well-being. 95.2% reported a positive increase on the Service Member s morale, including 98.65% of Service Members themselves. 92.4% agreed that additional grants should be awarded through reintegration. Only 10.1% said they would be able to enroll their child in the grant-sponsored activity without experiencing financial strain. FEEDBACK ON APPLICATION PROCESS 96.58% said the grant process was easy, and 99.6% said they would recommend the program to other families 11. DISCUSSION When Our Military Kids began in 2004, the initial vision was to serve a local National Guard unit on its way to a deployment. The response was so overwhelming, however, that Our Military Kids quickly realized the giant gap they were about to fill. Ongoing involvement in multiple wars required ongoing deployments and redeployments. The need for Our Military Kids remained and grew, and with that need came an organizational commitment to serve the children who sacrifice so much alongside their deployed parents. Enrolling my step daughter in gymnastics during my deployment would have been possible without this grant, but it would have been difficult and caused extra stress on her father and me. Receiving this grant allowed her to participate in a social and physical activity that made her a more well-rounded child and increased the time she spent with her dad, all while preventing added stress on the adults in her life. - Deployed National Guard Stepmother The research is clear regarding the strain many families face as a result of deployment. The research is also clear on the effects deployments can have on the children of deployed Service Members. The good news is that there are proven ways to mitigate many of these negative effects. Increasing family support programs increases resiliency and decreases the negative effects of deployment. Not only do these increased support programs improve family functioning, they also increase the likelihood that a Service Member will remain in the military 12. This year s survey has echoed those of years past, and as a result, did not reveal anything new as much as it reinforced what was previously found: during a deployment, the entire family of the Deployed is affected, and the grants from Our Military Kids help mitigate the negative effects for the child as well as the entire family. One change in the survey this year allowed responses from Service Members to be isolated, and perhaps no data speak more loudly than these. Specifically, nearly 99% of Service Members stated that the grants from Our Military Kids helped improve their morale during their deployment. Other important results: 96% of all respondents reported that the grant helped their entire family, almost 91% said it positively impacted the grant recipient s stress/anxiety, almost 64% said it helped the grant recipient s academic performance, and 99% said they would recommend Our Military Kids to other families. These numbers are overwhelmingly supportive and indicative of Our Military Kids impact. 11 Through survey comments in which respondents chose to self-identify, the issues were experienced with the extracurricular activities and not with Our Military Kids. 12 Sogomonyan & Cooper, 2010

11 Qualitative Data Of the 526 people taking the survey, 285 (54.2%) elected to provide a comment in response to the following: Your feedback helps Our Military Kids receive more funding to keep the grant program available. Please share how Our Military Kids helped you, your family, and your children, in an effort to help us persuade corporate donors and foundations to continue supporting this program. We have included several comments in the following pages that best represent the sentiments shared by respondents. Being a part of the our Military Kids program allowed my kids to participate in extracurricular activities while their dad was deployed. Instead of constantly missing his presence, it kept them busy and allowed them to focus on their growth and performance. -air national guard spouse Camp was a nice distraction for the kids. It was also validating to them, in the sense that they too are serving our country. They received a reward for their service of helping at home, praying for Dad and our country and giving up valuable time growing up without Dad. Kids give up a lot and for them it seems like they are giving up life as they know it. It made them proud when someone noticed. The reward of camp, something they have always wanted to do, changed some of their despair into a sense of pride. That is valuable. -air reserve spouse During a very upsetting time of missing and worrying about their father your grants enabled my kids to enjoy enriching activities that improved their lives and helped distract them in a positive way. Single parenting during deployments can be exhausting and having good activities to break up our routine is a lifesaver. I worry so much about the impact our lifestyle has on our kids and to see them smile means everything. -army National Guard spouse I think your program is an amazing thing. many people don t realize the things that we do here and how we help others by what we do. It is really nice to know that there are people that appreciate what we do and are willing to help out kids. -air force reserve father Having the financial opportunity for all of my kids to participate in an extracurricular activity during their dad s deployment has been a huge contributing factor that has limited the increase in their stress or anxiety level. -army National Guard spouse It is absolutely heart breaking to watch your kids say good bye to a parent for deployment. The grants help with some stress of the spouse and allows the kids to be involved. -air national guard spouse

12 The camp that my daughter was able to attend was a great distraction from her day to day summer routine. This in turn helped take her mind away from any sadness that she may have otherwise had time to think about had she not had this activity. our military Kids was the best benefit offered to me as a deployed service member. I give it an a+! -air national guard father - Navy reserve mother - My daughter brought her grade from an F to a C- with help from Mathnasium. The kids continued to go three times a week throughout the summer. Both kids just received their mid-quarter report cards, and both have an A in their geometry classes. -navy reserve spouse My son struggled with concentration at school during the deployment. We are in a rural community that didn't know what to do with my son. The Grant allowed us to attend tutoring. This was HUGE for my son. He had academic success and individualized attention. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about how important this was to him. -navy reserve spouse Being a stay at home mom, when my kids participated in their activities, it was the only time in my week I did not have direct care of my children. It allowed me 45 minutes per week of time without the kids. I feel that part of the reason our children did so well during the deployment was that I kept them busy. They did not have time to sit around worrying and missing dad. -air national guard spouse -air national guard spouse It helped my daughter s dream come true! -air reserve spouse The program helps to maintain the family cohesion throughout the activities being sponsored by the program. -air national guard father