Military families face similar challenges to most other working American families, but have the added stress of deployments, frequent moves, a lack of certainty or control, and caring for ill or injured loved ones. Joining Forces, the new White House military initiative headed by First Lady Jill Biden, takes aim at this disparity by means of support for those who support our military.
The following groups are targeted for support from Joining Forces: Veterans and their families, active-duty military and their families, caregivers, and survivors of those who served. To start, the initiative will focus on employment and entrepreneurship, education, and wellbeing, with potential to expand in the future.
It can be difficult for military spouses to secure employment due to frequent moves, licensing costs, and childcare needs among other contributing factors. Joining Forces will work with government, non-profit, and private sector officials to create more flexible, transferable, and remote job opportunities for military spouses.
Deployments, PCS moves, and OCONPCS moves all have an impact on the educational experience of military children. The plan is to advance programming which supports these children while easing the burden of a military lifestyle.
As a nation, we have experienced ongoing warfare for the past twenty years – longer than any other period of conflict in U.S. history. These circumstances weigh heavily on the lives of military families, especially, and can lead to physical and mental health challenges. The Joining Forces program plans to work with civilian providers to offer additional support for military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors.
Over the coming years, Frist Lady Biden plans to continue her collaboration with government, private sector, and non-profit partners to enhance the current offerings of Joining Forces while enacting additional long-term solutions to address the imbalances in the lives of military families.
For more information about Joining Forces for families of the military, review the initial Strengthening America’s Military Family report, which outlines the first round of commitments. You can also access to up-to-date information regarding current and future plans by visiting the Joining Forces Blog.
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