🏡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
📋 Make a Benefits Checklist — List what you and your family may qualify for.
📞 Call Military OneSource — Get a free benefits consultation: 800-342-9647.
🗂 Gather Your Documents — Marriage certificates, children’s birth certificates, service records, DD-214.
🏛 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.