Children from military families: looking through a transnational lens

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of the NATO Human Factors Medicine Research Task Group-258 (HFM RTG-258) was to develop a theoretical model of well-being for children from military families so as to assist militaries and service providers in identifying the most effective supports for military families and their children. Methods and Results: Building on existing models of children’s well-being and the socio-political context of NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations, as well as the unique challenges of military life, we developed the health, education, legal, material, and social (HELMS) model, a universal framework for the well-being of children in military families. The model is specific to the unique aspects shared by military families and children while allowing for the differences and similarities of military families across different nations. Our aim is also to initiate a dialogue beyond NATO and PfP nations, and our task group serves as a forum for active collaboration on surveys and metrics to guide current and future work. Discussion: The outcome of this NATO task group will not only benefit NATO military families and its partner nations, policy makers, and military organizations internationally, but it will also help service providers identify the most effective ways of providing support to military families and their children.