United States Air Force families with young children who have special needs

A stable military force depends on the retention of qualified service members. A group of service members that is leaving the military at a faster rate than others is women with children (DACOWITS, 2005). Increasing numbers of women are serving in the military, and family responsibilities are increasing for military men as well as women (Bourg & Segal, 1999; Military Family Resource Center, 2004). Examining the particular role strains on parents who serve in the military supports retention efforts tailored to this group. One such strain is the mobility of military families. Families who have children with special needs encounter specific challenges in managing mobility due to the geographically-based differences in service delivery systems.; This study surveyed Air Force families with young children who have special needs. A purposive sample from across the continental United States provided information regarding the types of needs experienced, the types of services desired, and the sources of services received. The 47 respondents provided information regarding the challenges they encountered in pursuing 112 services, the helpfulness of case managers and others, and their satisfaction with services. Additionally, they rated the perceived impact on the military career of having a child with special needs.; Most of the services received were for allied health services, provided by public and private civilian sources (off-base). The role of the case manager emerged as an important one to examine further, since the participants who did not have a case manager but wanted one reported less satisfaction with services received and a higher likelihood of leaving military service. Those who did have case managers reported increased confidence in their own abilities to access care needed and to cope in the future. Only 5 of the 47 respondents reported they had a case manager involved with the state based early intervention/early childhood special education system. This is believed to be lower than the number eligible for these services. Those who received services at the military treatment facility reported more confidence in their future abilities to cope with the special needs, as well as more perceived sensitivity to military family needs from their service providers. Given recent trends toward decentralizing family member medical care away from military installations, these findings need to be explored further in light of perceived quality of care and its possible relationship with retention concerns.; Further research is needed to refine an understanding of how managing the special needs of a child across public, private and military-provided services impacts military retention. This study identified potential concerns for Air Force families in order to enhance retention and service efforts.