Kentucky Operation: Military Kids

The purpose ofthese trainings will be to examine important issues regarding the support ofmilitary children, youth, and families in Kentucky. Interactive discussions will focus around military culture; the emotional cycle ofpre-deployment, deployment, and postdeployment; impacts ofgrief, loss, and trauma and strategies for helping families cope; fostering resilience in military children and youth; media influences; and hands-on practical information for building community capacity in support ofmilitary children and families in any community in Kentucky. Anticipated outcomes from the trainings include an increase in understanding and appreciation for the unique stressors that children and families ofdeployed family members may face; gaining tools and skills to engage local community partners to support military children, youth and families; and networking to continue implementing a comprehensive action plan to improve statewide support for National Guard, Reserve, and other military children and families across Kentucky.