Children of military parents in the USA generally attend public school and have some of their education expenses paid by the federal government's Impact Aid programme. This study of the programme emphasizes its implications for children and contends that its funding formula is flawed.

Military children living in the United States generally attend a local public school and have a portion of their education expenses paid by the federal government through the Department of Education's Impact Aid program. Currently, Impact Aid provides $900 million per year in subsidies to approximately 1,400 local education agencies (LEAs), which enroll 1.2 million eligible children. Children of military parents constitute 416,000 enrollments and account for 36 percent of program funding. This report focuses on the workings of the Impact Aid program with a special emphasis on the implications of the statute for military children. The main purpose of the Impact Aid statute is to defray the local share of expenses for educating federally connected students. The assertion is that military and other federal activities bring additional students into an area without proportionately expanding the local tax base.

The U.S. military has been continuously engaged in foreign conflicts for over two decades. The strains that these deployments, the associated increases in operational tempo, and the general challenges of military life affect not only service members but also the people who depend on them and who support them as they support the nation â€" their families. Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve. In addition, rising family diversity and complexity will likely increase the difficulty of creating military policies, programs and practices that adequately support families in the performance of military duties. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society examines the challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families, as well as lessons to be learned from these experiences. This report offers recommendations regarding what is needed to strengthen the support system for military families.