Expanding Our Outreach  As our extensive Duty to Care trainings have come to an end, Military Family Projects is pleased to announce its expanded efforts on behalf of Veteran families and their providers, as well as to highlight issues related to young children with special needs in military families. 

• We have launched our new Coming Together Around Veteran Families (CTAVF) initiative  through several funded projects, notably a one day free training event in April for interdisciplinary participants serving families in the Los Angeles area. This event was supported through a grant from The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles with additional support from the UCLA Family Resiliency Center.  The  ZERO TO THREE Western Office in Los Angeles played a key role in the coordination and facilitation of the training. 
• Military Family Projects has also been awarded funding through the McCormick Foundation to expand its focus on veteran and National Guard/Reserve families with young children.   An expert advisory panel will help to inform the adaptation  of  existing  ZERO TO THREE materials to reflect the Veteran family’s perspective and experience. 
• A recent study, funded by Prince Charitable Trust, was administered to capture professionals’ perception of the availability of services available for Veteran families with very young children in the Chicago area, as well as to identify any gaps in services. To download the report click here.
• MFP will sponsor a special track at the ZERO TO THREE 2012 National Training Institute on November 30th, aimed at convening military and civilian experts in the field of early intervention.  The three-part session will serve as an opportunity to explore issues relating to military/veteran families and their young children with special needs.  It is anticipated that the information sharing and rich discussions that take place during the session will inform the development of a white paper that outlines key points and recommendations related to this topic. Click here to register for Early Intervention for Young Children of Veteran and Military Families: Fostering Resilience Through Integrated Systems of Care in Your Community.