Supporting young children from armed forces families

Early years settings are crucial in supporting all children. They offer stability, routine and emotional care through nurturing and inclusive environments where every child feels valued and secure, regardless of their background.

Understanding the unique lives of young children from armed forces families is the foundation of effective support. Unlike their civilian peers, service children may experience the cyclical nature of service life: pre-deployment, when a parent prepares to leave; deployment, when they are away; and post-deployment, when they return.

This cycle can bring emotional highs and lows, which young children may find difficult to articulate and understand. Such disruption can affect their sense of security, behaviour and development, making the role of early years educators critical in providing stability, understanding and compassionate support.

Despite the unique challenges of service life, many service children display remarkable adaptability and resilience. A strong community of support, including early years educators and settings, facilitates the challenges of service life by providing consistency, professional support and a sense of normalcy.

Here are practical ways settings can support service families:

■ Providing a welcoming and inclusive environment To help children feel acknowledged and understood, settings can display UK military-themed resources and celebrate events such as the Month of the Military Child (MotMC) in April, Armed Forces Week in June and Remembrance Sunday in November.

■ Offering flexible communication Regular parent meetings and digital updates keep families connected, especially during deployments or relocations.

■ Providing emotional support Appoint an armed forces champion trained to address the unique challenges of service children, including early intervention where needed, and participate in the MoD early years armed forces champion’s network for shared support.

■ Building relationships Reintroduce opportunities for families to engage with the setting, especially at drop-off and pick-up times. Inviting parents in encourages conversation, information sharing and a stronger sense of community, which is particularly beneficial for service families.

■ Creative communication Work with the family to identify ways to support communication, especially when the deployed parent is in a different time zone.

Each April, communities across the UK and around the world celebrate the MotMC, recognising the unique experiences and challenges faced by service children. Led by the Education Policy Team within Defence Children Services (DCS) and supported by charities, schools, settings and government departments, the month celebrates service children and families, with the key event being ‘Purple Up! Day’ on the last Friday of April. This day encourages wearing purple, inviting parents into settings and visibly showing support. In 2026, it will be held on 24 April.

If you would like to learn more about the early years armed forces champion’s network, or for any other enquiries relating to this article, please contact the early years lead in the DCS Education Policy Team, at: People-AFFS-Education-Mailbox@mod.gov.uk

To learn more about the MotMC, visit the GOV.UK website: bit.ly/U5-MotMC.

For further details about DCS, which is responsible for providing education and care support to service families, please visit DCS.School.