Since 1986, April has been designated as “Month of the Military Child.” During this month we honor children of U.S. Service Members around the world for their contribution to their family’s well-being and the sacrifices they make on behalf of our country.
Virginia is home to nearly 150,000 youth who have parents serving in the military. Approximately 124,200 of these youth have Active Duty parents. More than 25,800 of these youth have parents who serve in the Virginia National Guard or Reserves and live in communities across the state.
While a military youth may look like you or the kids next door, many of them live a life of frequent moves, changing schools, leaving friends, and making new friends. They also experience family separations through deployments and then reintegration issues that make life challenging. Through it all, military kids are often looked up to for their resilience and ability to deal with life changing events.
As a result, we encourage each county or city 4-H youth development program to take time in April to celebrate the strength of military children and honor them for the sacrifices they make. No effort is too small.
As a reminder, please read the email announcement below from Megan Baker, Program Director for Virginia Operation: Military Kids (OMK), regarding the following initiatives:
Virginia Purple Up Day! April 15th
Wall of Heroes
Learn how Virginia 4-H can get involved. Please join in and celebrate our young heroes during April, Month of the Military Child.
Visit our new Virginia 4-H Military Club website: http://www.virginia4-hmilitaryclubs.org