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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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Appoint a Compact Commissioner in a timely fashion and designate a point of contact embedded within each state’s Department of Education.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
New York offers grants and scholarships that help eligible service members, veterans, and their families afford postsecondary education and navigate educational transitions related to military service.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Financial Stability (Fee Waiver, Food Insecurity), Financial Support
North Dakota provides education, training, and career support services through North Dakota VET to help service members, veterans, and their families transition successfully into civilian education and employment.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Financial Stability (Fee Waiver, Food Insecurity), Financial Support
Minnesota provides training, guidance, and resources to help educators better support military-connected students and families, improving awareness and easing school transitions during military-related moves.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Education, Educator Competency Training
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Military Resources
Washington provides military-connected students and families with resources, guidance, and support through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to help navigate school transitions and maintain educational continuity.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Education, Educator Competency Training
Virginia provides educational support to children of military personnel relocating to military housing, helping ensure smooth school enrollment, placement, and continuity during transitions.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Mobility & Relocation, Relocation/PCS Issues
Family Services office’s Child and Youth Program team
Missouri supports military-connected students and families through a Child and Youth Program team that provides resources, coordination, and transition support to help children navigate school and community changes related to military service.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Belonging/Community Support
South Carolina Education Oversight Committee 2024 Military Connected Students Report
South Carolina uses the Education Oversight Committee’s 2024 report to assess outcomes, identify gaps, and inform policy decisions that improve educational stability and school transitions for military-connected students and their families.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
Virginia provides guidance and resources to help military-connected families navigate special education services, ensuring continuity of support and smoother school transitions for students with disabilities.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
Georgia provides a Military Family Handbook that helps military-connected students and families navigate school enrollment, transitions, and available education supports across the state.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Community Integration Support
States use recommendations to strengthen implementation of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact, improving consistency in enrollment, placement, eligibility, and graduation processes for military-connected students across state lines.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Mobility & Relocation, Relocation/PCS Issues
The Department of Defense STARBASE program provides hands-on STEM education for youth on military installations, helping students build science, technology, engineering, and math skills through real-world learning experiences.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
Virginia allows military-connected students transferring between schools to receive flexibility in course completion and graduation requirements, helping ensure timely high school graduation despite relocations.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
Virginia recognizes April as the “Month of the Military Child,” encouraging schools to honor service members’ children and families with activities, materials, and resources to support military family engagement.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Belonging/Community Support
New York City’s Military Family Advocate Program is a collaborative initiative between NYC Public Schools and the Department of Veterans’ Services that enhances military cultural competency, supports engagement with military families, promotes access to benefits, and builds community while reducing stigma for military children and parents.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Community Integration 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
Military‑connected students who qualify for in‑state postsecondary tuition under §§ 23‑7.4‑203, 23‑7.4‑204, or 23‑7.4‑205 are all eligible to receive the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend. These provisions ensure COF eligibility for veterans, VACAA‑covered individuals, and community college military, veteran, and dependent classifications under current law.
Populations: Military Children, Veteran Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
Enable online school enrollment to enhance the “warm hand-off” between the sending
and receiving districts, and to minimize disruptions in special education services
Populations: Active Duty, Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Dependent Child Education, Education
Grant programs to support schools with significant military populations
Hawaiʻi provides grant funding to schools with significant military populations to strengthen supports, resources, and programs that help military-connected students and families navigate school transitions.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Education, Educator Competency Training
Alabama recognizes military-friendly K–12 schools that demonstrate strong support systems, resources, and points of contact for military-connected students and their families.
Populations: Military Children Topics: Belonging, Belonging & Community, Belonging/Community Support
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.
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