Documents for a Deployed Service Member’s Designated Family Caregiver

3 minute read Jan. 15, 2021

You want your family to receive the best care possible while you are deployed. And a family care plan provides the information and documents necessary for a designated caregiver to help your family until you return home.

Family care plans

The family care plan is a blueprint that describes how your family should be cared for while you’re away. Although family care plans aren’t required for all service members, they are required if you’re a single parent, a dual-military family with children younger than 19, or if you have sole responsibility for caring for a disabled or elderly family member. You and your designated caregiver should work together on this document to be sure it includes all necessary information, including:

Child care guidance – Expectations and schedules for child care, school and extracurricular activities
Medical care information – Medications, allergies and doctor’s appointments
Parenting responsibilities and challenges – Should include information on food preferences and restrictions, bedtime, discipline, religious observances and activities, social and leisure-time activities, safety precautions and allowances and spending
Contact information – For friends and relatives, health care and other service providers, community resources and your unit
Important documents – Location of documents such as wills, insurance papers and birth certificates
Finances – Information on how the financial support of family members should be managed
Alternative caregiver – Name and contact information of an alternate caregiver