PUYALLUP, Wash. – The second annual Washington State Military Kids and Families Summit will focus on providing needed resources to military children and the people who support them.
The event, open to military families, educators, community leaders and the public, is November 14 in Tacoma.
Workshops include how children cope with deployment, transitions, and reunions.
Major Keith Lemmon, MD, FAAP, an adolescent medicine specialist and the Director of the Military Child and Adolescent Center of Excellence at Madigan Army Medical Center, will address the effects of military deployment and its aftermath on children and adolescents. Dr. Lemmon will discuss how family member military service affects the physical, emotional, and behavioral health of military dependent youth. He will detail what communities, both military and civilian, can do to participate in supporting military kids during wartime and beyond.
A youth panel made up of teens who have a deployed parent will share how their lives have been impacted by military life. Conference participants will have an opportunity to ask the teens questions about their experiences.
Sponsoring agencies include Washington State University, the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the U.S. Department of Education Region X, Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense Regional Liaisons Office, Madigan Army Medical Center, Washington National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve, Navy Region NW, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Valley Cities, King County Department of Community and the Human Services/Veterans Citizen Levy Oversight Board.
The event is open to anyone interested in understanding and supporting military children. On-line registration is $5 per person or $10 per family through November 12. The cost is $10 per person and $15 per family the day of the event. Lunch and refreshments are included. For online register and more information, please visit capps.wsu.edu/conferences/militarykids.
The conference takes place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center located at 1500 Broadway.
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