An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Jan. 19, 2012

Defense Department launches website for military children

By National Center for Telehealth and Technology

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. - The Defense Department launched a new website Wednesday for children experiencing the challenges of military deployments.

The highly interactive website,http://www.MilitaryKidsConnect.org, was created by psychologists at DOD's National Center for Telehealth and Technology here. It helps children of deployed parents cope with the stress, changing responsibilities and concern for the safety of their parents, officials said.

The center, known as T2, developed the website with informative videos, educational tools and engaging games and activities for three age groups: 6 to 8, 9 to 12 and 13 to 17. The site features monitored online social network forums for the groups to safely share their experiences with deployments.

MilitaryKidsConnect.org is the first DOD website to connect children in the widely separated active, reserve, and National Guard military communities, officials said.

"Since 2001, an estimated two million children have said goodbye to a parent headed to deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, other places around the globe and on ships at sea," explained Kelly Blasko, a T2 psychologist. "Military children are deeply affected by the separation of their parent's deployment. We've seen that in their hearts, kids deploy too."

The website has features that will help children, parents and educators navigate the wide range of practical and emotional challenges military families must live with throughout the deployment cycle, Blasko said.

"While military children are very adaptable given the constant changes and stressful nature of military life," she added, "deployment puts a unique stress on family relationships at home, which can also affect the deployed service member. The DOD now has a website to help the youngest members of the military community."

The National Center for Telehealth and Technology serves as the primary DOD office for cutting-edge approaches in applying technology to psychological health.

 

 

Related Articles
Paratroopers from the Colorado National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces stand together before the first joint Colorado-Jordan airborne Friendship Jump, Watkins, Colorado, April 23, 2025. Members parachuted from a CH-47 Chinook as part of an event to strengthen interoperability and deepen the partnership between the two forces.
Airborne Operation Strengthens Colorado Guard, Jordan Partnership
By Senior Airman Melissa Escobar-Pereira, | June 4, 2025
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – In a display of cooperation and capability, Soldiers from the Colorado Army National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces recently conducted a joint airborne operation in Watkins, Colorado.The April 23...

Army Guard Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission, also known as KFOR, host a multinational non-commissioned officer academy, referred to as the Jungleer Academy, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, May 8, 2025. 11 Sergeants Major from seven countries shared their experience with the soldiers, and many nations showcased their weapons, gear, vehicles and took a flight or hoisted in the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
Army Guard Soldiers in Kosovo Host Inaugural Event for Non-Commissioned Officers
By Sgt. Cheryl Madolev, | June 4, 2025
CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – National Guard Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission recently hosted an inaugural multinational event for non-commissioned officers (NCOs), focusing on...

Spcs. Ethan Ward, left, and Brandon Moore, both assigned to the 776th Maintenance Company, Tennessee Army National Guard, received the 2025 USO National Guardsman of the Year award for helping to rescue people being pulled away by flash flooding during Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
Tennessee Army Guard Members Recognized at Gala Event for Actions During Hurricane Response Efforts
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, National Guard Bureau, Katie Lang, DOD News | June 3, 2025
ARLINGTON, Va. – The USO recognized two Tennessee Army National Guard Soldiers as “servicemembers of the year” in the organization’s annual award program highlighting service members who carry out extraordinary acts of...