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State Toolkit
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Explore How States are Supporting Military Families
Across the country, states are advancing thoughtful policies, programs, and partnerships that strengthen support for military and veteran-connected families. This toolkit brings together those efforts in one shared, accessible place.
Select a state on the map to explore local initiatives, or browse the full database below to discover ideas and opportunities being activated nationwide.
Darker shaded states are a Do Your Part state.
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Ensures active-duty, National Guard, and other service members and their families have access to high-quality child care in their communities when on-installment child care isn’t available.
Populations: Active Duty Topics: Childcare, Childcare Challenges, Financial Stability (Fee Waiver, Food Insecurity), Financial Support
Improves the Arkansas Military Child School Transitions Act of 2021. Allows receiving districts to prepare in advance for special education services; eliminates the one-year limitation for Gold Star families eligible for services; and develops the Purple Star School Program.
Populations: Military Children, Survivor Families Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
The annual residential program hosted by the Arkansas National Guard supports military children and offers them opportunities for wilderness orientation and leadership development.
Populations: Active Duty Topics: Health & Wellbeing, Health and Wellness, Physical Health Support
Arkansas established the Council for Military Children to coordinate support between schools, state agencies, and military communities, helping reduce barriers and improve school transitions for military-connected students and their families.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Education, Educator Competency Training
Offers emergency financial assistance to members of all reserve components in Arkansas who face unexpected financial hardships.
Populations: Guard and Reserve Topics: Financial Stability (Fee Waiver, Food Insecurity), Financial Support
Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 19
Provides military children automatic enrollment in a public school of their choice.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
The Department of War recognized Arkansas' model in the Military Child School Transitions Act as "the most robust mechanism to increase flexibility, oversight, accountability, and consistency" (December 2024). Requires Arkansas schools to designate a Military Family Education Coordinator in any school with twenty or more military students enrolled; allows incoming students to enroll in distance and digital education coursework; creates requirements for advance enrollment, records transfer, and course placement to help ensure effective school transitions for children of uniformed services families.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
Your Feedback is Welcome!
This toolkit is launching in 'beta' to demonstrate the incredible potential of state level work. We'll keep refining it and would love your help in making it the most comprehensive, easy to use tool out there. Help us improve the States toolkit by sharing anything that needs attention with Blue Star Families by filling out this form.
A comprehensive overview of the methodology and supporting data can be found in the full technical memo.
Let's work together to support our military families.
The Do Your Part coalition is led by Blue Star Families with support from Craig Newmark and craig newmark philanthropies.
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