🏡Family Resources Guide

(Support, Benefits, and Opportunities for the Whole Family)

❤️ 1. Why Family Resources Matter for Military & Veteran Households

Military and veteran families serve too — through deployments, relocations, and the unique challenges of service life.
This guide brings together essential benefits, programs, and tools designed to support spouses, children, caregivers, and survivors — from financial aid and healthcare to education, employment, and mental wellness.

👨‍👩‍👧 2. Core Family Benefits & Support

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 VA Family Benefits Overview

• VA Family & Caregiver Programs — Central hub for health, education, and survivor benefits.

• CHAMPVA — Health coverage for eligible spouses and dependents.

• Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) — Ongoing income for eligible survivors.

🏥 Healthcare Access for Families

• TRICARE — Affordable healthcare for military families (TRICARE.mil).

• Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) — Base hospitals and clinics.

📚 3. Education & Child Development

🎓 Spouse Education & Career Support

• MyCAA Program — $4,000 tuition assistance for military spouses in portable careers.

• Spouse Education & Career Opportunities (SECO) — Counseling and career matching.

🧒 Children’s Education Support

• Post-9/11 GI Bill Transfer — Transfer unused benefits to spouse/children.

• DoDEA Schools — For families stationed overseas or on base.

• Military Child Care — Subsidized on-base and off-base childcare.

💵 4. Financial Assistance & Stability

🏦 Everyday Financial Support

• Military Relief Societies — Grants/loans for emergencies.

• Veterans Pension — Income support for eligible wartime vets and survivors.

🏠 Housing Help

• VA Home Loans — Buy/refinance with no down payment.

• HUD-VASH — Housing vouchers for homeless veterans and families.

🧠 5. Mental Health & Family Wellness

💬 Counseling & Support Programs

• Vet Centers — Free family and marriage counseling.

• Military Family Life Counselors (MFLC) — Short-term confidential counseling.

🧑‍⚕️ Crisis & Immediate Help

• Veterans Crisis Line — Dial 988, press 1.

• Military OneSource 24/7 Support — Free, confidential help for service members and families.

🎖 6. Employment & Career Opportunities for Family Members

💼 Spouse & Dependent Hiring Programs

• Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) — Direct access to military spouse-friendly employers.

• USAJOBS Military Spouse Preference — Federal hiring advantage.

🛡 7. Survivor & Dependent Benefits

• Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) — Tax-free monthly payment to eligible survivors.

• Education Benefits for Survivors — DEA & Fry Scholarship.

• Burial & Memorial Benefits — National cemetery interment, headstones, and honors.

🌍 8. Community & Lifestyle Resources

🛒 Discounts & Perks

• Military Discounts Directory — Retail, travel, dining.

• Armed Forces Vacation Club — Discounted vacation rentals.

🏕 Recreation

• MWR Programs — Morale, Welfare & Recreation events and rentals.

• National Parks Lifetime Pass — Free for vets and Gold Star families.

🧭 9. How to Get Started

1. 📋 Make a Benefits Checklist — List what you and your family may qualify for.

2. 📞 Call Military OneSource — Get a free benefits consultation: 800-342-9647.

3. 🗂 Gather Your Documents — Marriage certificates, children’s birth certificates, service records, DD-214.

4. 🏛 Apply Early — Some benefits take weeks or months to activate.

📌 Pro Tips for Military & Veteran Families

• ✅ Combine VA benefits with state-specific programs for more support.

• ✅ Join spouse/veteran Facebook groups to hear about local opportunities.

• ✅ Revisit your benefits annually — eligibility can change.