3 Easy Ways for Military Personnel to Protect their Families While Deployed
A military deployment, whether domestic or international, takes a toll not only on service members but on their families as well.
Besides the fear of saying goodbye to a parent or spouse who is headed overseas, the spouse left behind is faced with single parenting and caring for a home on their own. Luckily, there are a variety of resources that can help make the transition easier on those serving abroad and their spouses and children serving on the home front.
Invest in Life Insurance
For families looking to save for college or make the most of their finances, life insurance can sometimes feel like an unnecessary luxury or one that you don’t need right now. Unfortunately, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that nothing bad could happen to your or your family until it’s too late.
For as little as $12 per month, you can protect your family with life insurance. Whether something happens while you’re deployed or at home, a life insurance policy will cover a variety of expenses, from the funeral to lost wages and everything in between.
The average funeral costs between $6,000 and $12,000. Without a policy, your spouse will be left supporting your family while also being the sole source of income and dealing with the cost of a funeral.
USAA offers term and permanent life insurance policies designed to support military service members and their families when they need it most. Whether you want to protect your family while you’re deployed, active duty or after retirement, they provide flexible coverage and a dedicated team to guide families through the process of accessing funds during their time of need.
Make a Family Plan
If you are a single parent household or both parents are in the military, the Department of Defense (DOD) may require you to file a Family Care Plan. This plan outlines who will be providing care for your children while you are deployed, as well as details about that care.
However, even if the DOD doesn’t require you to file a plan, or if one parent will be taking over care of your children while you’re deployed, it’s a good idea to create your own Family Care Plan.
You and your partner or designated caregiver can discuss how you want to handle milestones in your child’s life that you will miss while you’re deployed, as well as agreeing on aspects of parenting styles that you want to be on the same page about.
Take Advantage of Deployment Resources
The military provides a variety of resources to help ease the burden of deployment on families. For those with children, programs like Sesame Street for Military Families, MilitaryKidsConnect, and ZERO to THREE guide parents through explaining deployment to children and helping young ones cope.
Military bases in the U.S. offer child care that spouses at home can take advantage of while their partner is deployed or working. Other resources, like help with housing, food assistance, and legal and financial support are also available to help make life a little easier for military families, and especially for those with a parent deployed.
Adjusting to Military Life and Deployment
Adjusting to life in the military is difficult enough. Deployment can be confusing and scary, for families and service members alike, but there are plenty of resources that can help make the transition easier.
Life insurance allows you to protect your family while you are deployed. A Family Care Plan, official or otherwise, makes parenting from afar go a bit smoother. And taking full advantage of military deployment resources can help both parents and kids cope with deployment.
