Family care plans provide peace of mind

OKINAWA, JAPAN

11.04.2010

Courtesy Story

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

Regulations for service members who have custody of or legal responsibility for dependents were instituted through Department of Defense Instruction 1342.19 May 7.

This instruction applies to all military service members including reserve component members and members of the DoD civilian expeditionary workforce. Single parents, dual-military couples with dependents, married service members with full or joint custody and service members who are primarily responsible for dependent family members all must have up-to-date Family Care Plans.

Family Care Plans ensure if something happens to a service member and they cannot be in the immediate vicinity of their dependents to provide care, the dependents will still be taken care of medically, logistically and financially.

"In an emergency, the military community will do its very best to care for family members, but it is ultimately the members’ responsibility, and I imagine every member would prefer to design the plan rather than it fall to strangers," said Stephanie Taber, Life Skills trainer with Marine Corps Family Team Building, Marine Corps Community Services Okinawa.

Family Care Plans should provide at least two caregivers for any minor dependents as well as logistical, financial and medical instructions for the dependent family members’ care. The FCP should be supported by an "In Loco Parentis" power of attorney and any special POAs that may be needed to execute the plan, such as POAs for care of dependents, care of quarters and permission to travel. "In Loco Parentis" means in place of a parent.

"In case of an emergency, I have a medical power of attorney set up so that if my child needs to receive medical attention, (designated caregivers) are able to take him with no problems," said Sgt. Katherine DesCoteaux, the Camp Services administrative non-commissioned officer for Headquarters and Services Battalion, Camp Foster. "I also have a special power of attorney and money set aside so in the case that an incident occurs, they are able to take my child back to the states."

Many service members have family who are dependents, such as parents or siblings. In those situations, there only needs to be a FCP if family members cannot care for themselves and are dependent upon the service member for their care.

"There needs to be a FCP if that person is a dependent that relies on the member for financial, medical or logistical support," said Taber.

If a service member does not have a proper FCP in place, the family can experience negative effects.

"First and foremost, their family members will experience high levels of stress in an emergency," said Taber. "Children may be cared for by people they do not know. Additionally, there is a Marine Corps Order and a DoD Instruction that states that punitive administrative action may be enforced if a member neglects to take care of this responsibility. This action can go as far as separation from the service.”

"Some commanders may withhold leave and other privileges if the FCP has not been submitted," Taber added.

Service members are required to name a civilian on their Family Care Plan to provide temporary care.

This requirement ensures children will always have somebody nearby who has the ability to legally, medically and financially provide them with care; somebody who will not deploy at a moment’s notice.

Some service members stationed on Okinawa do not come into contact with civilians with whom they could entrust their children. This poses a significant challenge to a community where most service members are close to other active duty members, said Taber.

Her recommendation is to connect with a service member who has a civilian spouse willing to provide support for minor dependents for a short time in the case of an emergency.

FCP’s "should be updated annually or as the supporters of the plan change," said Taber.

Help creating a Family Care Plan can be obtained through senior leadership, the Family Readiness Officer, Marine Corps Family Team Building, Legal Support Services and Military OneSource.

The current MCO on Family Care Plans does not reflect the DODI, but the updated version from Headquarters Marine Corps is on the way, said Taber.

"It has been drafted and is in the reviewing process," said Taber. "We expect to see it in the coming months. There is also a plan to have the ability to upload the FCP as an attachment to the Marine’s MOL account."

"This is not the military’s way of trying to be big brother in your family," Taber added. "It is the military’s way of supporting our families and our community, especially when we are far from home."

• Date Taken: 11.04.2010
• Date Posted: 11.04.2010 23:41
• Story ID: 59455
• Location: OKINAWA, JP