Innovative Research & Extension Programs Supporting Military Families and Soldiers March 2010 National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Innovative Research & Extension Programs Supporting Military

Families and SoldiersMarch 2010

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Overview

• Nature of Military Family Life• Rationale for Partnership• Background• Research & Extension Programs• Questions

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Dr. Jill Biden, Yogi Berra, Michelle Obama, Retired US Army Captain Tony Odierno prior to World Series Game 1, 1st Pitch, October 28, 2009

The Nature of Military Life• High operational tempo• Deployment extensions• National Guard and Reserve deployments• Family isolation

– Single parent families– Relative caregivers– Loneliness – Financial issues– Increasing stress

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• Care of the Guard and Reserves (geographically dispersed)• Health care, meal preparation, access, support networks,

child care, employment, affordable housing• Military school children during transition and deployment • Spousal / partner employment• Child abuse/neglect, substance abuse, depression, suicide• Wounded and Severely Injured• Survivors

Associated Challenges

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Our Partners

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• Why NIFA, the Land Grant University (LGU) System, and the Cooperative Extension System (CES)?

• Capacity• Credibility• Quality

Rationale for Partnership

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Background

• Over 2 decades of partnering,– NIFA (formerly CSREES)– Military Services– Office of the Secretary

of Defense, &– Land Grant Universities

have entered into 5-year Interagency Service Support Agreements (ISSAs) to provide military family support under a variety of structures

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How the Partnership Grew• 1987 – Navy partnered with CES Families program• Late 80s - Texas Extension placed educators on Army installations to

support & educate military families.• Late 80s - Cornell Family Life Development Center conducted critical

longitudinal research & curricula for Army Community Service to use in family support programs.

• 1994 - University of California and Texas Extension partnered to develop Operation READY.

• 1995 – Base Realignment Quality of Life Study — Texas Extension• 1995 - 4-H/Army Youth Development Project• 2005 – 4-H/Air Force Youth Development Project• 2007 – 4-H/Navy Youth Development Project• 2009 – NIFA-Military Community & Family Policy (MCFP) Partnership

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Our ReachToday

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4-H Military Partnership

Army Child Youth & School Services Air Force Airmen & Family Services Navy Child & Youth Programs

4-H Air Force Partnership

Auburn University

Washington State University

University of Georgia

University of Maryland

V irginia Tech

USDA - National Institute of Food & AgricultureNIFA – Children, Youth Families at Risk

4-H/Army Youth Development Project

Kansas State University

Kansas State University

4-H Navy Partnership

Kansas State University

Kansas State University KSU serves as the overall lead University in the 4-H Military Partnerships. KSU awards more

than $9,000,000.00 to 52 State LGU’s that provide direct programming and support for military children/youth through the Military 4-H Clubs and Operation: Military Kids grants.

Military 4-H Club Grants: - Funding for these grants is provided by Army, Navy, Air Force and NIFA (CYFAR). These grants serve to establish 4-H clubs on military installations world wide and provide 4-H opportunities to geographically dispersed military children/youth.

In 2010, 47 states, DC & Guam applied for and received grants .

Operation: Military Kids Grants: – OMK grants are funded by Army and serve all military children/youth who experience a loved one being deployed. These grants focus on

building local support networks where these families live. In 2009 49 states and DC applied for OMK grants.USDA NIFA February 2010 11

Military Family Support Programs

USDA - National Instituteof Food & Agriculture

Cornell UniversityArmy Family Advocacy Program

(Army Wide)Army Integrated Family

Support Network(Army Wide)

Kansas State UniversityAir Force Family Advocacy Training

Support and Research Project (Air Force Wide)

Military Life Skills Education Program

(Ft. Riley, Kansas)

Texas A & M UniversityMilitary Life Skills Education

Program (Ft. Bliss, Texas)

Military Life Skills Education Program

(Ft. Hood, Texas)Substance Abuse Prevention

Program (Fort Sam Houston)

Warriors in Transition(Fort Sam Houston)

University of MarylandFinancial Training Management

Program(Walter Reed Army Medical

Center)

Army Family, Morale, Welfare & Recreation Command

Brooks AFBFt. Knox?

Army Installations Fort Riley, Fort Hood,

Fort Bliss, Fort Sam Houston, Walter Reed

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Extension-Military Partnership

OSD – Office of Military Child & Family Policy

USDA – National Institute of Food & Agriculture

Purdue UniversityOverall Partnership Leadership

Internship Program Project Sub-Awards

Washington State UniversityCommunications & Marketing

North Carolina State UniversityProject Y.E.S.

Ohio State UniversityLab School

Kansas State UniversityUniversity Passport Program

University of ArizonaMulti-Disciplinary Partnerships

eXtension (U of Nebraska)eXtension

Sub-Awards & Universities: Family Readiness Clearinghouse – Penn State, Community Capacity Building - TBD, Health Literacy Education - TBD, Community Gardening - Cornell, Basic Meal Preparation - TBD, Training and Materials for Youth Camps – West Virginia, Youth Citizenship – U of Minnesota, Deployment Curriculum & Resources - TBD, 4-H Out-of-School Youth Programs – Michigan State, Autism Program Review and Support – Ohio State, Database for Child & Youth Programs Reporting – U of Georgia, Personal Worklife Skills - TBD, JFSAP Program Evaluation - TBD, Heartlink & Key Spouse Program Support - TBD, Child Care centers Technical Assistance - TBD

University of MarylandNational Summit on Military Families

Virginia TechMilitary Families Listening Sessions

Military Families programming examples

• Family Advocacy Program• New Parent Support Program• Army Substance Abuse Program• Financial Readiness Program• Exceptional Family Member Program• Mobilization and Deployment• Relocation Assistance Program• Employment Readiness Program• Army Family Action Program• Warriors in Transition• Survivor Outreach Services• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Resources?

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Research & Extension Programs

• Operation READY (Resources for Educating About Deployment and You)– Developed following Desert Storm– University of California Riverside & Texas A&M– 3rd Revision by Cornell– In use on Army installations worldwide

• Air Force Family Advocacy Research & Analysis– Evaluating impact of deployment on spouse and child

maltreatment– Engaging fathers in New Parent Support Program

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NIFA’s Focus

• Identify the inter-relationships of the current work that supports military families & youth within NIFA.

• Raise the visibility of the work being done by Cooperative Extension faculty, staff and partners.

• Identify current efforts that support military families & youth (outside nationally-funded projects).

• Identify strategies to expand partnerships.

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For more information

Brent Elrod

Program Specialist

USDA / National Institute of Food and Agriculture

202.690.3468

[email protected]

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