National Guard Family Program

National Guard families experience challenges that most families don’t. The National Guard Family Program supports families in every phase of guard life — from planning for deployment to coming home — and helps you be ready for whatever lies ahead.

The National Guard Family Program supports and educates families along the path of their National Guard life. Its vision is to enhance the quality of life for members, their families and the communities in which they live. Its mission is to establish and facilitate ongoing communication, involvement, support and recognition between National Guard families and the National Guard in a partnership that promotes the best in both.

Each state has a family program director and one to four wing family program coordinators. There are also family readiness groups/key volunteer groups, family readiness assistants and family assistance staff. Learn about the family program accreditation process.

Use this guide for answers to your questions about entitlements and benefits. You will also find contact information for assistance.

The National Guard provides opportunities and support for families. It also works closely with local, regional and national communities to link their services to the services already available to the guard. Connect with the resources available to you.

National Guard members and their families shoulder a heavy load at times. Military OneSource offers free, confidential counseling and consultations to help your family stay strong through the challenges of military life.

Access free resilience tools and online apps anywhere, anytime. These tools offer convenience and portability for meeting wellness goals, managing stress, strengthening your relationships and building resilience.

• Recommended Wellness Apps were developed by the Defense Department and its partners specifically for military members and their families. You’ll find apps for parents and children, as well as those designed to help service members become more mission-ready.
• Love Every Day is a fun, interactive way to strengthen your relationship with your partner.
• MoodHacker lets you track, understand and improve how you’re feeling.
• CoachHub connects you with a professional coaching expert to help motivate you as you work toward your health and wellness goals.

Your National Guard family is eligible for resources to help students of all ages succeed in school — and in some cases, to help pay for it. Military spouses have access to a suite of benefits and services to help them advance in their careers as well.

• The Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program provides education and career guidance, resources and online tools to military spouses. Services include free career coaching, online assessments, resume help, mock interviews, a scholarship finder and more.
• My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Program provides military spouses with up to $4,000 financial assistance for the pursuit or maintenance (including continuing education courses) of a license, certification, or an associate degree necessary to gain employment in an occupation or career field. MyCAA is open to spouses of active-duty service members, as well as National Guard and reserve members on Title 10 military orders. Spouses of service members in pay grades E-1 through E-6, W-1 through W-2 and O-1 through O-3 who have successfully completed high school and have the ability to request tuition assistance while their military sponsor is on Title 10 military orders are eligible.
• The Military Spouse Employment Partnership connects military spouses with employers who have committed to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses. The online MSEP job search lists openings at these companies and organizations. You can also take advantage of the Job Search Navigator to have customized job leads delivered to your inbox.
• The Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve program offers up to 36 months of education and training benefits to eligible National Guard members and reservists.
• Support for pre-K-12 education for families with children includes information and resources to help you build a strong foundation of learning for your child.
• The DOD MWR Libraries are packed with ebooks, audiobooks, reference books and databases for all ages. The MWR Digital Library also includes online tutoring through Tutor.com.

Sometimes it helps to talk to an expert. Military OneSource offers specialized assistance with a wide range of individualized consultations for many aspects of military life.