2011_04_22 this week in mc&fp april 22, 2011 (1)

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http://www.health.mil/blog/10-06-24/Family_Resiliency_Webinar.aspx.

Providing policy, tools, and resources to further enhance the quality of life of service members and their families.

This Week in MC&FPApril 22, 2011___________________________________

After many months of planning, the 2011 DoD-USDA Family Resilience ConferenceForging the Partnership, is upon us. Nearly 2,000 attendees are expected and through technology,youll be able to join us, too. Please see the information and virtual addresses below. There is nocharge to access the coverage, you wont need to register, and you wont need a log in.

Wed like to recognize and extend a sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to the

planning, coordination, and execution of the conference. It would not have been possible without themany willing, enthusiastic hands and hearts. We hope to be able to thank you in person, but until then,Thank you!

Have a good week and take care.

Please note: Some hyperlinks in this text are lengthy, sometimes extending more than one line. For best

results, cut and paste the entire link into your Web browser.

From DoDEA

DoDEA to Celebrate National Teacher Appreciation WeekThe Department of Defense Education Activity will join schools around the country and theNational Parent Teacher Association in recognizing the nations teachers during National Teacher

Appreciation Week. This years observance, scheduled from May 1-7, encourages all citizens toshow their appreciation to teachers and offers the opportunity for everyone to reaffirm theircommitment to parent-teacher partnerships. Worldwide, DoDEA schools will honor thousands ofteachers serving military students and families.

From the Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth

Forging thePartnership See you in Chicagoin person or virtually!

Cant make it to the conference? We believe it may be the best professional developmentand networking opportunity of the year. But all is not lost! You can participate in theconference virtually. We hope to see you! Heres how:

Live Streaming keynotes and the Town HallWill be linked from the main conference.See http://www.cyfernet.org/partnership2011
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Yes, you can watch the keynotesLIVE! (or at least three of the fourtwo are concurrent, soyou will have to choose) PLUS a Town Hall forum with the Senior Enlisted Advisors from allbranches of the military services.

There is no charge to access these events, you dont need to register, and you wont need a

log in. So add these events to your calendar:

- Wednesday, April 27, 8:05 a.m. CDT: KeynoteGrowing Strong the Sesame WayJeanette Betancourt will share Sesame Workshops outreach efforts around the physical andemotional well-being of young children and their families. (Note: This time reflects achange announced late Friday. In addition to the opening keynote, youll see the openingceremony and opening remarks.)

- Thursday, April 28, 8:15 a.m. CDT (#1):Im TylerDont Be SurprisedTyler Greene demonstrates what can happen when people understand that what a youngperson CANdo is much more important than what he cannot.

- Thursday, April 28, 8:15 a.m. CDT (#2):Deep Brain Learning: Pathways to Potential withChallenging YouthLarry BrendtroBuild on our brain pathways to develop trust, talent, self-control, and

morality in environments that foster belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity.

- Thursday, April 28, 1:30 p.m. CDT: Town Hall with Senior Enlisted AdvisorsThe Senior enlisted leadership form the military services will field questions and discussissues of importance to military families.

- Friday, April 29, 10:30 a.m. CDTMeeting the Diverse Health Needs of Adolescent InsuringHealth Equity: The Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center ModelAngela Diaz will address the issues of health disparities of teens, especially those faced byminority and poor urban youth, through a philosophy in action.

Twitter Tweet and Facebook PostsWant to know what your colleagues are thinking as theyparticipated in the Keynotes and Town Halls? Check out the Conference Twitter feed!

- Follow us @FRConf- Tweet your own comments with #FRConf.- Check the photos and wall posts on Facebook by liking usfacebook.com/FRConf- Your comments are also welcome!The DoD-USDA Family Resilience Conference proceedingswill be online about May 15th, butjoin us onlineits the next best thing to being there!

For a quick look at the conference schedule, seehttp://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/FRC2011
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Military OneSource WebinarsApril Sessions ContinueWebinars are Web-based training sessions using teleconference audio and the internet to deliver aninteractive seminar. All posted times are listed in Eastern Daylight Savings Time. For moreinformation, seehttp://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspx

Digital Literacy for Kids,Monday, April 25, 2011, 10 a.m.Get AD-ucated! Help kids improve their digital literacytalk to them about staying safe online,being good digital citizens, and thinking critically about the advertisements all around them.

SleepStrategies for Infants and Children, Friday, April 29, 2011, at 10:00 a.m.Getting infants and young children to sleepand stay asleepcan be a tremendous source ofstress for parents. This webinar is designed to help parents learn about childrens sleep patternsat different stages of development and explore effective ways of helping their children fallasleep and sleep through the night. Participants will be able to learn about childrens sleeppatterns at different stages of development, explore specific sleep problems, identify conditionsthat disrupt sleep for young children, and learn strategies for establishing a nighttime routine.

For more information on these and other upcoming Webinars, seehttp://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspx

From the State Liaison/Voluntary Education Office

States Assisting Military Members and Their FamiliesUpdate:Weve made great progress since our last update. We currently have 95 active bills in 36 states, andto date, 29 bills have been signed into law.

The following is a breakout of this activity:

- Issue #2 (ensuring deployment separation does not determine child custody decisions): threesigned into law with 17 bills still active in 15 states

- Issue #3 (increasing availability of quality child care): One signed into law with three bills stillactive in three states

- Issue #4 (minimize school disruption for military children by adopting the Interstate Compact onEducational Opportunities for Military Children): Two signed into law with seven bills stillactive in six states

- Issue #5 (improving the portability of occupational licenses for military spouses): Three signedinto law with 13 bills still active in 11 states

- Issue #5 (simplifying licensing requirement for separating military members): Three signedinto law with four bills still active in three states- Issue #6 (providing unemployment compensation eligibility for military spouses): Three bills stillactive in two states

- Issue #7 (enhancing the ability of states to enforce DoD's predatory lending protections):Three bills still active in three states

- Issue #8 (improving the Absentee Voting process): Nine signed into law with 36 bills stillactive in 22 states, and
http://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspxhttp://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspxhttp://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspxhttp://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspxhttp://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspxhttp://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspx


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- Issue #9: (States recognizing the DD93 as the authoritative document for PADDidentification): Six signed into law with nine bills still active in nine states

In addition to the above, two professional license extension bills (Issue #1primarily benefitsGuard & Reserve members who are deployed). For additional information, please visit

http://www.usa4militaryfamilies.dod.mil/ or write [email protected] .

From the Resale and NAF Policy Office

Commissary On-Site Sale EventsThe Guard/Reserve On-site Sales Program provides the commissary benefit to deservingGuard/Reserve members and their families who live in areas that arent close to an existingcommissary store. These sales are not only for the Guard and Reservethey're for any authorizedshopper. Currently, there are no on-site sales for online ordering. For more information, visithttp://www.commissaries.com/guard_reserve_sales.cfm

In the next few weeks, DeCA will deliver the benefit:

April 27-30 U.S. Southern Command Doral, FloridaApril 30 186th Engineers Caribou, MaineApril 30 Reserves Camp Joseph T. Robinson

North Little Rock, Okla.In the News

From the Family Matters blogShow Seeks Military Families for Home MakeoverIm excited to share new information about an amazing opportunity for deserving military families.The producers of ABCs Extreme Makeover: Home Edition are seeking people involved in the

military whose home deserves an extreme makeover. The producers are looking for people withamazing strength of character and who put their own needs aside to help others, a press releasesaid. Whether its a soldier, a mom, a teacher or a fireman, we think deserving families are

families who inspire those around them.

See http://afps.dodlive.mil/2011/04/19/show-seeks-military-families-for-home-makeover/

From Family Focus FridayDeveloping Career Opportunities for Military SpousesThese are challenging times for our military community, ranging from natural disasters to the dailyrealities of life. As such, these are times when the well-being of our military families is moreimportant than ever. We are strengthening military families not only to navigate the unique aspectsof military life but also to thrive in the wake of lifes uncertainties. One of our commitments to

enhance career opportunities for military spouses is based on the Presidential Study Directive,Strengthening Our Military Families: Meeting Americas Commitment. Seehttp://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2011/04/family-focus-friday-developing-career-opportunities-for-

military-spouses/

From DoD LiveMonth of the Military Child Coverage ContinuesThroughout the month of April, the Department of Defense is recognizing the important rolemilitary children play as part of the military family. As we continue into the second half of Month
http://www.usa4militaryfamilies.dod.mil/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.commissaries.com/guard_reserve_sales.cfmhttp://www.commissaries.com/guard_reserve_sales.cfmhttp://www.defense.gov/home/features/2011/0111_initiative/strengthening_our_military_january_2011.pdfhttp://www.defense.gov/home/features/2011/0111_initiative/strengthening_our_military_january_2011.pdfhttp://www.defense.gov/home/features/2011/0111_initiative/strengthening_our_military_january_2011.pdfhttp://www.defense.gov/home/features/2011/0111_initiative/strengthening_our_military_january_2011.pdfhttp://www.commissaries.com/guard_reserve_sales.cfmmailto:[email protected]://www.usa4militaryfamilies.dod.mil/


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of the Military Child, were highlighting a variety of different stories. Seehttp://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2011/04/month-of-the-military-child-coverage-continues/

From Family Focus FridayWriting you a letter

Letters from loved ones can serve as morale boosters for deployed servicemembers. Soldiers

magazine reached out to Army families, asking them to share letters soldiers children had writtento their deployed parents.See http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2011/04/family-focus-friday-writing-you-a-letter/

From the American Forces Press ServiceFace of Defense: Marine Coaches Youth WrestlersWhen people look at Master Sgt. Timothy D. Greenleaf, they see a 6-foot, bulky, tattooed Marine.What isnt so obvious is hes enjoyed working with children for more than 18 years. Greenleaf,war reserve chief for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific logistics, devotes a large amount of his off-duty time to being the head wrestling coach for Marine Corps Base Hawaiis Marine Corps

Community Services youth wrestling team.See http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=63621

From the American Forces Press ServiceMilitary Kid of the Year Has Leadership Qualities

For a 10-year-old boy, Tristan Fissette has fortitude to spare. The son of Chief Petty OfficerPatrick Fissette, a Navy reservist, the fourth-grader is working on his second-degree black belt inkarate and has no shortage of other activities that keep him busy, especially when his dad isdeployed. Despite the demands of his karate training, he finds time to help feed the hungry and tomentor new students in karate and in school. Tristans leadership qualities led a panel from thenonprofit Our Military Kids organization to choose him as one of four Military Kids of the Year.See http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=63584

Tips of the Week

Parenting Tip of the WeekReading Promote Language, Literacy and LearningReading to young children promotes language acquisition and is linked with literacy developmentand, later on, with achievement in reading comprehension and overall success in school. Helpmake reading fun for your children and encourage them to continue reading year round by:

Making reading a part of your daily routine. Bedtime is a good time for reading. Talk about

the story you read the night before at breakfast or lunch the next day to help reinforce the

special time you spent together.

Participating in ongoing special events at libraries in military installations. For a list of DoD

libraries, visithttp://www.dod.mil/other_info/libraries.html

Reading books about other military families and children with them. TheDefense Centers ofExcellence has compiled a list. Seehttp://www.dcoe.health.mil/Content/Navigation/Documents/DCoE%20Children%20of%20Milit

ary%20Service%20Members%20Resource%20Guide.pdf
http://www.army.mil/-news/2011/04/01/53939-writing-you-a-letter/index.html?ref=home-soldiers-title0http://www.dod.mil/other_info/libraries.htmlhttp://www.dod.mil/other_info/libraries.htmlhttp://www.dod.mil/other_info/libraries.htmlhttp://www.dcoe.health.mil/Content/Navigation/Documents/DCoE%20Children%20of%20Military%20Service%20Members%20Resource%20Guide.pdfhttp://www.dcoe.health.mil/Content/Navigation/Documents/DCoE%20Children%20of%20Military%20Service%20Members%20Resource%20Guide.pdfhttp://www.dcoe.health.mil/Content/Navigation/Documents/DCoE%20Children%20of%20Military%20Service%20Members%20Resource%20Guide.pdfhttp://www.dcoe.health.mil/Content/Navigation/Documents/DCoE%20Children%20of%20Military%20Service%20Members%20Resource%20Guide.pdfhttp://www.dcoe.health.mil/Content/Navigation/Documents/DCoE%20Children%20of%20Military%20Service%20Members%20Resource%20Guide.pdfhttp://www.dod.mil/other_info/libraries.htmlhttp://www.army.mil/-news/2011/04/01/53939-writing-you-a-letter/index.html?ref=home-soldiers-title0


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Nutrition Tip of the Week --More Quick Meals in 30 Minutes or LessIn need of more quick, healthy meal tips? Here are some other ideas for meals that can help feed

your hungry crew.

Healthy Choice Meal Ideas

Mix this with this to get thisfrozen meal in a bag or meal togo in the meat section of thecommissary

extra frozen vegetables orbeans or brown rice or wholepasta

protein, fiber, vitamins A andC, crunch and flavor

bagged salad sliced almonds, low fat cheese,dried, canned, or fresh fruit

protein, vitamin E, fiber,crunch and flavor

bagged broccoli and carrots salad dressing or marinade fiber, vitamins A and C,antioxidants, crunch andflavor

Add these foods to your shopping list while making your life easier! For more information on

making healthy and nutritious food choices, check out the Commissarys Web site athttp://www.commissaries.com/

Lets Move/Childhood Obesity Tip of the Week -- Cooking With Your ChildrenOneof the best ways to familiarize your child with good food choices is to encourage her to cookwith you. Let her get involved in the entire process, from planning the menus to shopping foringredients to the actual food preparation and its serving.

When you are planning meals with her, refer to the Food Pyramid, and try to include items from theimportant food groups. Explain the importance of making low-fat choices whenever possible,choosing chicken and fish rather than red meat in most cases, or choosing low-fat cheeses overhigher-fat varieties. Particularly in her first few efforts at helping in the kitchen, let her select

recipes that she and other family members have enjoyed in the past, so she can see what's involvedin preparing them.

In assigning tasks to your child, keep in mind that they need to be age-appropriate. For instance,you wouldn't give a six-year-old a sharp knife to chop vegetables, although she can certainly washthe lettuce. Nor would you let her remove a hot, heavy casserole pot from the oven, although shecan carefully open the oven door for you.

Here are some other guidelines to keep in mind:

When your child is helping out, make certain that you or another adult is in the kitchen at alltimes.

When your child pares vegetables, show him or her how to point sharp edges away to avoidaccidents.

Explain how to weigh and measure ingredients.

Think safety. Use the rear burners when cooking on the stove. Make sure that pot handles areturned inward so children can't accidentally knock them off. Show your child and explain whyyou are taking this safety precaution.
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Teach your child the importance of using potholders when touching hot saucepans and otheritems.

Turn off the oven and burners when you're finished cooking.

For more information see: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-

stages/gradeschool/nutrition/pages/Cooking-With-Your-Children.aspx

Financial Tip of the WeekHow to Prevent Wrecking Your Credit ScoreDon't underestimate the harm that even one missed mortgage payment can do to your credit score,especially if you had good credit to begin with. The severe consequences underscore that youshouldn't shrug off even an accidentally missed payment. Instead, you should pay it and call thelender right away and ask for forgiveness before it mars your credit record. Being 30 days late on ahouse payment, even if it is an accident, can knock 100 points off a pristine 780 credit score,moving you from qualifying for the very best interest rates to the edge of subprime territory.

Your past behavior counts, but your current behavior matters more.

Credit scores are intended to measure the risk that you won't repay a current or future debt. Soyour careful payments over many years translate into a higher starting score. But your scoretakes the biggest hit of all when you are 30 days late on a payment, falling 70 to 100 points. Thefirst missed payment "captures a good deal of the risk of the consumer."

The best way to rebuild a damaged credit score, ironically, is to use credit.Avoiding borrowing altogether means "you've frozen your credit history in a negative state," youwill be better off using a credit card judiciously and paying it off promptly, adding good-behavior points to your record.

A poor credit score hurts more than you think.

A person with a 620 score would pay almost 12 percent interest on a four-year $25,000 car loan,compared with less than 5 percent for someone with a 780 score, a difference of almost $4,000over the life of the loan. On a 30-year fixed-rate $250,000 mortgage, a person with a 620 scoremight qualify for a 6 percent rate, but probably wouldn't be able to get mortgage insurance,which is required if your down payment less than 20 percent. A person with excellent creditmight land a rate less than 5 percent and pay about $3,000 a year less.

Military OneSource Tip of the WeekQuick Tips for Helping Your Child with HomeworkHomework is an important part of every childs education. It teaches responsibility, as well as how

to follow directions and manage time. Your involvement as a parent is crucial to helping your childdevelop good study skills. Here are some ways you can help your child develop good homework

and study habits:

Make homework a priority. Make every effort to have your home be a good place for learning.Have homework supplies on hand. Make sure you offer lots of encouragement and praise.

Teach your child to ask for help. Remind your child that its OK to ask for help. Take your childto the local library. Teach her how to get homework help on the Internet.
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Get to know your childs teacher. Meet with the teacher at the beginning of the school year.Find out the best way to get in touch if you have a question. Find out if your school has ahomework help line. If homework is consistently too easy or too hard, let the teacher know.Help our child get organized. Start by making sure your child has an assignment book. Helpyour child develop a homework routine when he comes home from school. Some children need

a few minutes outside to let off steam before they start their homework. Whatever works foryour child, try to make it part of the daily schedule.Ask about homework every day, every week, every month, all year. Experts agree that its a

good idea to check on your childs homework.Set up a schedule or calendar for homework to remind your child of deadlines . Encourage yourchild to keep up with big projects on the calendar, and check it often. Your child can also use itto keep track of field trips and special events at school.Start off with a snack. It can be hard to do homework when youre hungry, so give your child

time to have a snack before she gets started on homework.Check on your child periodically while hes doing his homework. Make sure he is okay and askif he has any questions that you can help him with.

If you cant be home, call your child or ask a family memberor friend to check in with yourchild. Checking on your child will give her reassurance that someone is available if she hasquestions about her homework.Check out the schools website. Many schools post homework assignments on their Web site forstudents and parents. Learn how to use the site and check it often for homework assignments,projects, and grades. If you have a computer, show your child how to use the site to check hisassignments.

Your Family Center can give you information and support on many issues that affect service

members and their families. And Military OneSource, a free 24/7 service from DoD, available to all

active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members and their families, provides information and referrals

plus face-to-face counseling. Call 1-800-342-9647 or access http://www.MilitaryOneSource.com.

Spouse TipMilitary Spouse Financial Counselor Fellowships

Are you interested in money? Ever thought about becoming a Financial Counselor? Well, help ison the way.

The Association of Financial Counseling and Planning EducationAFCPEis working with theNational Military Family Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation to provide upto 200 military spouses each year with funding to pay for the education they need to enter thefinancial counseling career field.

Their sponsored Military Spouse Financial Counseling Fellowships cover the cost of completingassociations education program and the first two attempts at required examinations. The AFCPEscredential is awarded to all spouses who successfully complete program requirements, including apracticum with an organization that needs well-trained financial counselors to serve its clientele.

As spouses move from duty station to duty station, many public and private organizations want tohire knowledgeable, caring, ethical financial counselors, including on and off-base credit unions,financial aid offices, community housing offices and health and human service organizations.
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Military spouses can help fill these needs and maintain a portable career in one of the fastestgrowing sectors in Americafinancial services. Making the pot doubly sweet, there are careerladders in this field making it possible for credentialed spouses to accept increasing levels ofresponsibility and higher salaries despite their mobile military lifestyle.

Applications for Military Spouse Financial Counselor Fellowships are now being accepted by theNational Military Family Association. So, dont miss this opportunity to get started on a rewardingfinancial education, career and employment opportunity.

For more information, see http://www.militaryfamily.org/get-info/support-family/spouse-employment/financial-counselor-fellowship-faqs.html

Read a success story about one of the fellowssee http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/08/24/44138-the-road-to-becoming-a-financial-counselor/index.html

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