Family programs offer arsenal of support for new school year, families with children

Photo By Staci-Jill Burnley | Abby Gripp, facilitator for the Rock Island Arsenal Discovery Playgroup, helps Wesley Patera create a sand art project. The Army Community Service playgroups are designed to develop social, emotional, and physical skills to build a strong foundation for learning and growth.  

IL, UNITED STATES

09.07.2021

Story by Staci-Jill Burnley 

U.S. Army Sustainment Command

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill – Following a stressful year of find creative ways to support and educate children during a pandemic, the nation is now entering… another stressful year of exactly the same. Depending on what state you reside in, how your respective school systems are handling back to school procedures can vary widely, leaving even the most laid-back parents frazzled.

While there are seemingly no concrete answers for parents as to what right looks like in education these days (be it online or in person), families assigned to Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, have a wealth of programs available to them to assist in navigating the waters of parenting and educating in these unusual times. Here are the ABCs of assistance you can take advantage of this year!

A is for Army Community Service

ACS invites families into a world of education, opportunity and discovery while offering programs and services that promote self-reliance, resilience and stability during war and peace. ACS is a community-oriented social service program designed to strengthen family relationships, promote self-reliance and support military and civilian job performance by providing high quality human services for families and individuals. Services include: Army Emergency Relief (AER), Employment Resource Center, Exceptional Family Member Program, Family Advocacy Program, Family Assistance, Financial Readiness Center, Installation Volunteer Coordination, New Parent Program, Relocation Assistance and Survivor Outreach Services. For more information about the programs offered on the Arsenal, contact [phone].

B is for Bullying Awareness and Assistance

It’s tough to know what to do when someone is being mean to you. If it happens over and over, you’ll probably need help to make it stop. Army Community Services has resources available to help parents and children learn to identify the issue of bullying, and tools to help combat the effects of it. For more information, contact the Family Advocacy Program at [phone].

C is for Cyberbullying Awareness and Assistance

Cyberbullying is different than in-person bullying as it can happen anywhere, anytime. Because it doesn’t involve physical abuse, it’s often harder to recognize. Cyberbullies use technology and social media to ridicule, harass and threaten others. Army Community Services has resources available to help parents and children learn to identify the issue of cyberbullying and tools to help combat the effects of it. For more information, contact the Family Advocacy Program at [phone].
D is for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Station Library
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Station Library program provides a free book each month sent directly to your home in your child’s name. In partnership with the United Way of the Quad Cities Area, residents of Scott County, Iowa, and Rock Island County (to include RIA), Illinois, are eligible for this program if they have a child who is five and younger. Once the child reaches age, or moves out of the participating counties, the program ends for the registered family. For more information, contact the Family Advocacy Program at [phone].

E is for Exceptional Family Member Program

The Exceptional Family Member Program is a mandatory enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical, and personnel services to families with special needs. Soldiers on active duty enroll in the program when they have a family member with a physical, emotional, developmental or intellectual disorder requiring specialized services, so their needs can be considered in the military personnel assignment process. The overall goal of EFMP is to help families accompany the Service member to the right duty locations, not to exclude them.
In the educational realm, the Education Directory for Children with Special Needs provides military Families who have children with special needs the information they need to make informed assignment decisions and easier transitions. The directory consists of two components: the Early Intervention Directory, focused on early intervention services for children birth through three years-old, and the School-Age Directory, focused on education services for children with special needs, three through 21 years-old.
Both provide tools and resources to help with the transition to a new location. The Early Intervention Directory summarizes national and state level early intervention trends and includes descriptions of local early intervention service providers. The School-Age Directory summarizes national and state level trends for special education and includes descriptions of individual school districts. EFMP also have specialized services in assisting in developing individual education plans and advocating on behalf of families in partnership with the Military School Liaison Officer. For more information, contact the EFMP office at [phone].

F is for Fatherhood Initiative

Army Community Service partners with the National Fatherhood Initiative for high quality and evidence-based programs and resources that build the skills of dads (and moms!) interested in strengthening bonds with their children. This is open to both male and female service members who would like to improve their parenting skills, but only one parent per family may attend. If they are dual military, they can choose who will bring the kids. Open to active duty, guard/reserve, and military retirees. All events are free and at different community venues. Past outings have been fishing, ice skating, trampoline park, and many more. For more information, contact the Family Advocacy Program at [phone].


P is for Parenting Tips and Support

Parenting is tough. It doesn’t matter what type of relationship or family dynamics are at play, being a caregiver to a child is one of the most challenging roles people have. ACS offers parenting classes, resource material, and referrals for additional support to help make you the best parent you can be. From keeping calm when the baby cries, to balancing the responsibilities of childcare, everyone can find a helping hand to improve their skills. For more information, contact the Family Advocacy Program at [phone].

P is also for Playgroup

The Discovery Time Playgroup meets every Thursday at RIA’s Memorial Park for an opportunity for little ones to expand their experiences and social skills while building a firm foundation for learning, exploration and creativity. The target age range is children from birth to five years old, as well as their caregivers. Activities include story time, themed craft activities, and snacks. For more information, contact the Family Advocacy Program at [phone].

S is for School Support Services

School Support Services provides Army school-aged youth with educational opportunities, resources and information necessary to achieve academic success. A branch of Child & Youth Services, School Support Services features school liaison officers who help schools, installations and Families work together for student achievement.

SLOs are your best support in the area of education, schools and military transitions. SLOs are knowledgeable in current education news and policies. They act as the conduit between the school community – including local public school districts, private schools and home-school families – and the installation. For more information, contact the RIA school liaison officer at [phone].

T is for Tutoring

Tutor.com for military families, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, is a program that provides on-demand, online tutoring and homework help at no cost to eligible service members, civilian personnel, and their dependents. With live, expert tutors available 24/7, military-connected students can receive academic help at their moment of need — anywhere they have an internet connection. Personalized help is available in more than 100 subjects for grades K-12 and college students, including math, writing, reading, English Language Learner, science, English, social sciences, history, accounting, finance, nursing, world languages, computer science, study skills and test prep. They also provide tutoring with bilingual Spanish-speaking tutors for math, science and social studies. For more information, visit www.militarytutor.com or contact the RIA school liaison officer at [phone].

U is for United Services Organization

In partnership with the USO, the Back-to-School Brigade is Operation Homefront’s annual nationwide school supply collection and distribution campaign. Since its inception, Operation Homefront has distributed over 400,000 backpacks to military children, saving military families nearly $50 million in school expenses.
Operation Homefront and Dollar Tree Inc. have joined forces for 12 consecutive years to collect and distribute school supplies for military children. The USO on RIA is currently stocked with a variety of school supplies for kids free of charge. You can stop in, or contact the USO office at [phone] for more information.

• Date Taken: 09.07.2021
• Date Posted: 09.07.2021 15:35
• Story ID: 404636
• Location: IL, US