Barbara A. Thompson is a former Director of the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. She has been a member of the ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors since 2017.
Contributions to the Field
As director of the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, Thompson was responsible for programs and policies that promoted the well-being, readiness, and quality of life of military families. In that role, she oversaw child development and youth programs serving 700,000 children at more than 300 locations worldwide. She also had responsibility for military family readiness programs, including spouse well-being and career advancement, military family life cycle and transition support, and community capacity-building efforts for geographically dispersed military members and their families. In addition, she oversaw the Family Advocacy Program and the Exceptional Family Member Program. Previously, she coordinated support programs for severely injured service members and their families and supported the rebuilding of Iraq’s Ministry of Education.
She spent 18 years with Air Force family programs, most recently as the child development program and youth training and curriculum specialist at Air Force Headquarters. She was an integral member of the team that helped more than 98% of Air Force child development programs achieve accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
A recognized leader in early childhood education, she participated in ZERO TO THREE’s prestigious Leaders for the 21st Century program from 2003–2005 as one of only 11 Harris Fellows. The leadership development initiative brought together experienced professionals with established records of leadership and achievement to collaborate with leaders from multiple disciplines and receive support for innovative projects aimed at improving the lives of young children.
Ms. Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts in early education and Spanish from St. Louis University and a master’s degree in management from Troy State University.
Recognition and Thought Leadership
- 2017 National Military Family Association’s Support of Military Families Award
- 2017 Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service
- 2015 Child Care Exchange Master Leader award
- 2014 Ellen Swallow Richards Public Service Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Board on Human Sciences, Inc.
- 2003 DC Mayor’s Quality Partner Award
- 1978-88 Air Force Meritorious Award for Outstanding Child Development Center Director
- Authored a Commissioned Paper for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for their study Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society, Committee on the Well-Being of Military Families, 2019.
- Co-authored chapter in A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families, edited by Linda Hughes-Kirchubel, Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, and David S. Riggs, Springer 2018.
- Co-authored chapter in Parenting and Children’s Resilience in Military Families, edited by Abigail H. Gewirtz and Adriana M. Youseff, Springer, 2016.
- Co-Authored chapter in Couples-Based Interventions for Military and Veteran Families, edited by Douglas K. Snyder and Candice M. Monson, Guildford Press, July 2012.
- Produced, wrote and edited Early Childhood Environments: Facilitating Children’s Learning- Educational Video Production, Department of the Air Force, 1996
- United Facilities Criteria for Child Care Centers
- ZERO TO THREE’s “Life Support: A System of Care for Military Families” Vol. 25 NO.6, July 2005, pp.49-53
- ZERO TO THREE’s “ An Effective Response to Tragedy: The Pentagon Family Assistance Center” Vol. 22 NO.3, December 2001, pp.43-44
