For Family Members

Are you a family member of a returning OEF/OIF veteran with children (birth – 5 years)? Are you a military family member who is concerned about the impact of the deployment cycle on your young child? We are interested in hearing from you.

If you would like to find out more about the study and/or would like to participate, please contact Abby Ross, Project Director, at aross1@bu.edu or 617-358-5742.

Are you a returning OEF/OIF veteran with children (birth – 5 years)? Have you been back from deployment within the last year? Are you interested in participating in an evaluation of a home-based program for military families?  We are interested in hearing from you.

Who is eligible to participate?

Any family with a child or children age 5 or younger AND parental OEF/OIF deployment is eligible to participate. Strong Families Strong Forces is PURPLE: We are open to all branches of the military, including Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, and retired status.

If you would like to find out more about the project and/or would like to participate, please contact Abby Ross, Project Director, at aross1@bu.edu or 617-358-5742.

What is involved in the program?

What we did:

Over the last 2 years, we interviewed over 70 service members and their spouses/partners who have young children to learn more about the process of reintegration, what it is like to parent a young child during deployment, and what would be helpful in a new program designed for families with very young children.

We used this information to develop a home-based program for returning OEF/OIF service members and their families.

Ten families tested out the program as a trial run and made recommendations.  These recommendations have been incorporated into the current program.

Where things stand now:

We are working with approximately 128 families who will evaluate the effectiveness of the newly revised program.  You could be one of them!