Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley, COL (USAF Retired) joins Gov. Jeff Landry in recognizing all military children in honor of the Month of the Military Child. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, there are more than 1.6 million military children who deserve recognition for their sacrifice as a result of the service of their parents.
“As a father of four daughters, I know firsthand the struggles military children face, specifically having to change schools every two to three years,” said Col. Meginley. “During my 20 years in the Air Force, my oldest daughter attended eight schools before college, which is a burden military children face. In light of this issue, last month, I asked leadership at all Louisiana schools to consider implementing the Purple Star School Program to support the children of service members.”
The Purple Star School Program helps military children adjust to new environments and keeps them on track to be college, workforce and life-ready. Participating schools have a liaison specially trained to handle the unique challenges experienced by military families during their transition to a new school. The liaison also helps teachers better understand special considerations that students from military families may experience.
For more information about the Month of the Military Child, browse the following resources:
· White House’s Month of the Military Child Toolkit for Schools: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/MilitaryChildToolkit.pdf
· U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity: https://www.dodea.edu/month-military-child
· U.S. Department of Defense Military One Source Fact Sheet: https://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Factsheets/CYF-MCFP-MOMC-FactSheet.pdf