Picture this: moving every year (or more)! Finding a new dentist, a new doctor, a new playground, the best spot for coffee, a haircut, a new school, a new friend! Now, visualize having all of these tasks and a child with special needs who needs supportive services right away.

We sat down with the legal analyst and the director of research from Partners in PROMISE to talk about what the data really says about military-connected special needs families, and why every number in that research represents a family figuring out how to make it work, again and again. Behind every policy gap and every statistic is a parent who's become an expert in something they never signed up for.

Come for the research. Stay to witness the incredible lengths these families go to, providing emotional stability and educational continuity for their children.

This podcast is made possible through generous funding by the USAA Foundation.

This show is mixed by Concentus Media in Temple, Texas, USA.

Partners in PROMISE

https://thepromiseact.org/

Partners in PROMISE Data & Reports

https://thepromiseact.org/our-data/

Military Child Education Coalition

https://militarychild.org

Crystal DeVoss Mahany, MA, MPS

Crystal has worked as a paralegal, advocate, policy researcher, and legal analyst in Special Education Law, and has taught courses on Special Education as a Civil Right and Disability as a Tenet of Diversity. A founding member of Partners in PROMISE, she serves as Adjunct Faculty at George Washington University. As a military spouse and mother to two military-connected sons with special needs, Crystal is a fierce advocate with a focus on Civil Rights, Disability Rights, and Special Education Law.

Dr. Jenna Kremkow

Jenna is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Elmhurst University, where her research focuses on the experiences of military families with children with autism and the use of technology to improve communication outcomes for these families. She holds an MS and PhD from Penn State with an emphasis in autism and augmentative and alternative communication, and has worked clinically as a speech-language pathologist in schools, clinics, and early intervention settings. Her goal is to use data-driven research to support policy changes that improve special education services for military families.

Picture this: the cool kids, the right clothes, the music that impresses, covering that acne, wiping those sweaty palms, and most importantly, getting the kids to include you, even though you’ve moved three times in these four years of high school. High school can be rough, especially if you’re moving every year or more often. With an Orion Scholarship, though, a homebase for your high school years is possible, and affordable. So maybe, you can at least face the challenges of high school with the same familiar faces by your side, because everyone deserves to be known.

Join us to learn more about the Orion Military Scholars Program and how you can become a part of it today.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas, USA.

The Orion Military Scholars

https://orionmilitary.org

Military Child Education Coalition

https://militarychild.org

Co-founder of national nonprofit Orion Military Scholars, award-winning author, attorney, military spouse, and mom, our guest Lisa Molinari's talents are far-reaching and have a wide and deep impact. Her focus on helping families stems from her lived experience, and her approach to life is full of humor, practical strategies, compassion, and the wisdom that only comes from weathering storms.

The Orion Military Scholars Program provides financial resources to military-connected students so they can have a consistent high school experience, without moves, at boarding schools across the country that provide excellent educational and social opportunities. Lisa is there to walk families through every step of the way as they navigate the application and process to become Orion Military Scholars.

As a staple of our childhoods and a safe space for our children, we all know and love Sesame Street. Perhaps we were unaware of the resources available specific to military families. Join us and long-time expert and representative of Sesame Street, Rocio Galarza, as we explore the exciting website for families, educators, and community members who support military-connected children on Sesame Street for Military Families! Wellness, everyday challenges, deployments, grief, healing, military life, routines, and building bonds are just a few of the topics that you can find outstanding resources and activities made for you and your child. In this episode, we highlight the recent updates to the website that make it even more user friendly for educators and families.

Show Notes: Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the USAA Foundation.

Resources: Sesame Street for Military Families

https://sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org/

Military Child Education Coalition

https://militarychild.org/

Military OneSource

https://militaryonesource.mil

Biography for guest host Rocio Galarza:

Rocio is the Vice President for Sesame Street's U.S. Educational Programs, targeting social impact and how to connect families with necessary resources. She has been with Sesame Street for over twenty years and has consistently focused on Social Emotional well-being for children and families, as well as how to strategize on a larger national scale to secure resources for programs providing this safety at scale. We are honored to explore the recent updates to the website Sesame Street for Military Families with Rocio!