Month of the Military Child celebrated aboard MCLB Barstow

Photo By Laurie Pearson | Children enjoy a family related craft at the Children's Development Center aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., April 6. The staff assists the children with markers and stickers to make a representation of each child's family for a paper chain craft to be finished the next day.  

BARSTOW, CA, UNITED STATES

04.13.2017

Story by Laurie Pearson  

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow

Children receive special honors throughout the month of April in support of Month of the Military Child, aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif.
Month of the Military Child offers recognition of the important role that children have within the military. Sponsored by the Department of Defense Military Community and Family Policy, events throughout the month of April offer opportunities to applaud military families and their children for the many sacrifices and unique challenges they must overcome.
"We have a responsibility to ensure every child has access to a quality education, especially those children whose parents dedicate their lives to the service of our country,” said Betsy DeVos, U.S. Secretary of Education. "I am grateful for the men and women who admirably serve our nation, and for their families and children who often bear tremendous burdens on their behalf. Let us honor the service of these courageous men and women through our commitment to their children."
In 1986, then Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger established April as the Month of the Military Child wanting to stress the importance of providing children with quality services and support to help them succeed in the mobile military lifestyle.
“Month of the Military Child is important because it highlights the military children who are born into this lifestyle,” said Kristi Baker, assistant director for the Child Development Center on base. “Our job is to support the military and their families by taking care of their children so that they can focus on what they need to do, such as prepare for deployment, work, or even go on a deployment. The service member needs to know that their children are well cared for so that they can focus on what they need to do in serving our country.”
On April 19 the CDC is hosting a parade for the children on the parade deck.
“The children will walk around,” said Baker. “Police and Fire will be there as well as most of the Marine Corps Community Services departments with booths. There’ll be crafts and a banner contest between the various MCCS departments, to be judged by the commanding officer of the base.”
MCLB Barstow, Behavioral Health, Family Team Building, FOCUS Project, School Age Care and the CDC offers several events which assist families in meeting others and developing a network of people to lean on in times of need and to provide ongoing support. Some of these events include LINKS training, Play Mornings, Self Defense classes and FOCUS training.
Join in the celebration this month by celebrating the Month of the Military Child and doing something special for these, the youngest members of the military families.
-30-

• Date Taken: 04.13.2017
• Date Posted: 04.14.2017 12:56
• Story ID: 230410
• Location: BARSTOW, CA, US