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Single Moms In The Military
from: Karlie BestlerWomen should know before they sign up for the military, that after their tour of duty is over, they may be reactivated and deployed at any time. It is still a difficult family dilemma if a single mom is the sole source of support for her children. Whereas a single mom in civilian life may have daycare problems on a day-to-day basis, single moms in the military need to make childcare arrangements that can span months or years when they are deployed.
In cases of divorce, child custody is the biggest issue to be determined. Years of legal and financial negotiations may be undone when single moms in the military are reactivated and deployed. The non-custodial father or other relatives may need to be called upon to take care of minor children. If both parents are in the military and both are deployed, the situation can become quite complicated.
The issue is addressed by the military by requiring all soldiers to have a Family Care Plan completed for when they are recalled to active duty. This plan is mandatory for everyone. It is a detailed plan which includes several forms that must be filled out and should be kept current at all times.
Forms in the Family Care Plan:
Power of attorney: gives legal authority for the childcare of the minor children, establishes who the guardian is and what their rights are, and allows for that relationship to be established for an extended period of time.
Certificate of acceptance as guardian or escort: verifies that the guardian has accepted the responsibility and has been made aware of the circumstances of the family care plan.
Application for uniformed services identification card DEERS enrollment: provides military benefits to the children while the parent is deployed.
Authorization to start, stop or change allotment for active duty or retired personnel: allots a portion of the soldier's pay to family members to support them while the parent is deployed.
Letters of instruction: contains all the information important to the soldier's family for legal, medical and household purposes. Things like tax information, service providers, bills that need to be paid, car registrations, etc., should all be included in the letters of instructions.
Family care plan counseling list: verifies the soldier has been counseled on the mandatory nature and information required in a family care plan.
Single moms in the military may not want to think about the potential of being reactivated, but it is a situation that is occurring more and more frequently. Having a thorough and up-to-date family care plan ready at all times will alleviate some of the stress of being deployed and help ensure that the children's needs will be met.
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