Why is a family care plan important for parents in the military?

On behalf of Furr & Cohen, P.A. posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, September 9, 2015.

Members of the military face some very unique challenges when it comes to having a family. For some members of the military, such as those who are single parents and those with parenting responsibilities, the challenges that might come up are very serious. Because of the risk of a parent being deployed without the possibility of taking the child with them, these parents must have a family care plan.

Who should have a family care plan?

Any parent who is serving in the military should have a family care plan; however, there are only certain parents who are required to have a family care plan. The parents who are required to have a family care plan include any service member who is responsible for dependent family members, any single parent, any dual-military couple who has dependents and any parent who has a child whose other parent isn’t the current spouse. Counseling is available at every military installation to help parents determine if they need a family care plan.

What should be included in the family care plan?

The family care plan should include all the documents necessary to allow a person other than a biological parent to care for the child if the parent is deployed. It should include instructions, as well as information about who will care for the child if a no-notice deployment is necessary. Long-term and short-term custody plans are necessary.

If you are going through a divorce and are in the military, establishing a family care plan is vital. Make sure that you have any legal paperwork necessary completed in case you are called out on a deployment that goes into effect immediately.

Source: Military OneSource, “Child Custody Considerations for Members of the Military,” accessed Sep. 09, 2015