Operation Just Cause... ...for as long as it takes
After almost a year of development, the Department of Defense has
released
its first-ever Strategic Youth Action Plan.
The DoD plan is an
overarching
strategy to better support the teen-age children of servicemembers by
standardizing youth programs and policies, maximizing the effectiveness
of
partnerships with other organizations serving youths such as the Boys
and
Girls Club of America, and by promoting the best possible command
support
for youth programs. The plan is DoD's "roadmap to the future," intended
to
guide the many agencies supporting activities and programs for the
military's teen-agers, to include: the military Services; the DoD
Education
Activity; Morale, Welfare, and Recreation offices; chaplains; military
medical and law enforcement personnel; and national partners across the
spectrum from government agencies such as the Department of Justice to
civic
organizations such as 4-H Clubs.
"The Department of Defense Strategic Youth Action Plan underscores our
commitment to military youths and recognizes their unique circumstances
and
developmental needs," said Dr. Sue Bailey, assistant secretary of
Defense
for Health Affairs. To inaugurate the release of the plan, Bailey
chaired
a round table discussion of the plan at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. on
May 5
with senior Defense and Service civilian and military leaders and 12
teens
from military families. The round table discussion focused on how the
plan
addresses such issues as the challenges associated with being a military
family member, stereotypes of military children, relocations, safety,
deployment of military parents, satisfying the need for health-related
information, and opportunities for teens to provide input and express
concerns to community and Service leaders.
The plan establishes ten objectives: provide comprehensive youth
programs
DoD-wide, ensure command support and involvement, promote youth
involvement,
recognize and support family involvement, develop standard policies,
expand
partnerships and collaborations, ensure adequate resources, ensure that
qualified enthusiastic adults work with youths, promote health services
for
adolescent growth and development, and address the needs of at-risk
youths.
Of the 1.2 million children of active duty servicemembers, more than
358,000
are ages 11-18. The DoD provides youth programs through some 450 youth
centers at 300 locations worldwide.
The DoD Strategic Youth Action plan is available through the Internet at
http//dticaw.dtic.mil/milchild/docs/CAT0136.PDF or from the National
Clearinghouse for the Military Child Development Program at
1-888-237-3040.
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