Source: U.S. Department of Defense

April provides us with a special occasion to recognize and celebrate the service of our military children as the Month of the Military Child.

There are 1.82 million brave sons and daughters of our military servicemembers in our communities today. Not only do these children face separation of a parent who may be deployed multiple times for extended periods of their childhood, they also undergo the challenges of constantly moving, according to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Family Readiness Policy. Frequent moves disrupt friendships, schools, and the conveniences that come with being familiar with a community.

The average child in a military family will move six to nine times during a school career. That’s an average of three times more frequently than nonmilitary families, according to Department of Defense Education Activity.

Through military family readiness programs, you can serve as a support system for children and their families. For more information on what the American Legion Auxiliary is doing to help military children, visit https://www.ALAforVeterans.org.

This is one of several posts throughout the month of April celebrating the gift military children are to us.