For 40 years, the War Department has set aside the month of April to honor the strength, sacrifices and unique challenges that children of military personnel face, a reflection of the important role military families play as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary.
The 2026 Month of the Military Child toolkit provides service providers and leaders with key messages, sharable resources, social media posts and ready-to-use materials aimed to support the needs of parents as they care for their military-connected children, youth and teens.
Background
The War Department recognizes that families are the strength of our force, and the department is committed to ensuring military-connected children, youth and teens — and their parents — know support is available for their unique challenges. This year’s Month of the Military Child focuses on the strength and resilience of our military-connected youth, and our unifying theme, Legacy of Resilience: 40 Years of Nourishing Our Military Children’s Future, is woven into our outreach efforts for April and beyond.
Through collaboration and communication, we can amplify the department’s efforts to reach and support military-connected children, youth and teens.
Ready-to-use materials
Show your support for military parents and military-connected youth by downloading and sharing these resources:
- Signature block (coming soon)
- Virtual background (coming soon)
- Social media toolkit (coming soon)
- News article/release (coming soon)
Shareable resources
- Military Child Care — Help parents find the most important details about military child care in one convenient location.
- Nutrition and Fitness — From guidelines on developing healthy eating habits and ideas on how to stay fit to strategies for giving your child a happy, healthy start, parents can find ways to maintain healthy living, get fit and manage their family’s health.
- Military Youth and Teen Programs — Military youth and teen programs are designed to support military children as they transition from childhood into adulthood.
- Exceptional Family Member Program — Help families with special needs get the support they need to manage education, care and services.
- Pre-K to 12 Education — Help parents learn about education options, including homeschooling, while building relationships with their child’s school and maximizing the support and resources of their military community.
- Morale, Welfare and Recreation — From fitness and sports to tickets and travel, MWR offers an array of options for service members and military families.
- Military OneSource Counseling — Share this resource to help families find free, confidential counseling to support adjustment difficulties, stress and family dynamics.
- New Parent Support Program — By learning healthy parenting practices and helping their children thrive, new parents can navigate this time of their lives while juggling the demands of military life.
Support for Military
