From First Steps to Forward March: Building Military Family Readiness from Birth to Adulthood

About this Series

This six-part webinar series follows children from birth through young adulthood. It focuses on the unique experiences of military families and families raising children with disabilities. Each session connects child development to key parts of family readiness, helping children adjust, learn, and grow through moves, deployments, and changes in services or support.

Each 90-minute webinar includes a Fatherhood Focus segment. This section shares practical, strengths-based strategies to support fathers and other male caregivers as they help their children develop from birth through age 22. It highlights the important role male caregivers play at different ages and offers clear, hands-on ideas for building relationships, improving communication, and engaging them in ways that respect both family-centered practices and military life.

Participants will learn age-appropriate strategies to support resilience, independence, and social-emotional development. Educators, childcare providers, and youth and family professionals will leave with tools they can use right away to include fathers, adapt to change, maintain consistency, and create more opportunities for children and youth—supporting both family stability and overall readiness.

Programming

Strong Starts, Steady Bonds: Helping Young Children Thrive Through Change

Early experiences play a big role in how children learn to adapt, trust others, and grow. This session shares practical ways to help caregivers build strong, secure relationships with infants and toddlers, even during deployments, training, and frequent moves. Participants will leave with simple tools to support emotional skills, trust, and early independence while keeping early intervention supports consistent across locations.

Practical Strategies for Supporting Preschoolers Through Change

Preschool is an important time to help children build flexibility, problem-solving, and self-help skills that support them through moves and changes. This webinar shares practical ways to prepare young children for changes in caregivers, routines, and friendships while keeping supports consistent, including for children with disabilities. Participants will see real-life examples of how helping children adapt builds a strong foundation for future success.

Supporting Academic and Social Continuity for Mobile Elementary Students

When elementary students move to a new school, even students who enjoy learning can have a hard time. They may miss their friends, feel less motivated, or wait longer to get the support they need. This webinar shares practical ways to help children stay engaged, feel connected, and succeed during moves and other school changes.

Helping Preteens Thrive Through Change

Middle school brings major shifts in identity, independence, and peer relationships—changes that can be intensified by deployments and relocations. This session equips professionals to help students build self-advocacy skills, maintain friendships across distance, and connect quickly to extracurricular activities after a move. Participants will gain practical strategies to strengthen confidence, adaptability, and leadership in preteens navigating change.

Launching Teens for Life After High School

The teen years are an important time to prepare young people for life after high school while still giving them the support they need. This session shares practical tools to help military-connected youth plan for work, education, independent living, and the challenges of frequent moves. Participants will learn ways to help teens build confidence and prepare for both independence and a mobile lifestyle.

Transitions, Connection, and Young Adult Well-Being

The move into college or job training is a time of growing independence and emotional development, but it can be especially challenging for military-connected young adults and those with disabilities. This session shares ways families and professionals can support mental health, resilience, and decision-making during moves and major life choices. Participants will learn how to help young adults stay connected, build support networks, and move forward with confidence.