VISION:
The VING State Family Program serves as an advocate, liaison, and partner with stakeholders to provide resources, training and Deployment Cycle Support to sustain a viable quality of life for our Service Members, Veterans, their Families and the communities in which they live.
MISSION:
To establish and facilitate ongoing communication, involvement, support, and recognition between National Guard families and the National Guard in a partnership that promotes the best in both; thereby, establishing and maintaining Family Readiness for mobilization in support of the Guard’s dual mission: Federal and State.
PURPOSE:
•Assist Commands and Units as they support their families during peacetime, Territorial Emergencies, & Federal Mobilization Missions
•Provide Efficient and Effective Services & Resources to Guard Families which Contribute to Readiness and Retention
•Enhance the Quality of Life for guard members, their families, and the community in which they live
FOCUS IS TWO-FOLD:
•Family Assistance -- Contractual obligation to provide primarily military assistance to guard families.
•Family Support -- Mutual help and emotional support that family members provide each other, most often in the form of a unit Soldier & Family/Youth Readiness Group (SFRG/YRG) and Key Volunteer Team (KVT).
FAMILY PROGRAM SUSTAINMENT SERVICES/OPERATIONS:
Family Readiness, Family Assistance Center, Child & Youth Program, Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program Support, Personal Financial Counselors, and Military Family Life Counselors.
GOALS:
• Attain Accreditation for the VING State Family Program in 2020
• Inform and educate service members, family members, veterans, retirees of all branches of the Armed Forces on benefits and entitlements available to the Guard Family
• Fully implement the Army Family Action Plan (AFAP), Guard Family Team Building (GFTB), Guard Youth Team Building (GYTB) and Key Spouse/Volunteer Programs
• Recommend to the Command programs that will improve the Quality of Life (QOL) for Service members and their families
• Encourage participation of family members in activities which support the unit
• Develop a Family Readiness Network through which families mutually support each other
• Develop a Communication Network from the unit to the family
• Improve Family Awareness of the unit’s organization, mission, and activities through training experiences, volunteer service and social media
• Prepare Family Members in the event of Mobilization and Emergency Family Assistance Center (EFAC) Operations
OBJECTIVES:
• Complete and maintain the Standards of Accreditation for the VING
• Develop a working relationship with the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) Office and the Family Readiness Program
• Ensure and Assist with 100% Family /Dependent Care Plan requirement
• Achieve 100% DEERS/AFFIRST Enrollment
• Encourage and Assist with 100% family member I.D. Card requirement
• Encourage all guard members to provide Wills for their families
• Prepare and publish Newsletters
• Establish/Obtain Unit Telephone Trees & Databases, and Unit Strip Maps
• Initiate a Minimum of One (1) Unit “Family Orientation” or “Annual Information Brief” per year, per unit/squadron
• Organize Pro-active Volunteer Soldier & Family/Youth Readiness Groups (SFRGs/YRGs) and Key Volunteer Teams (KVTs)
• Increase volunteer membership in SFRG/YRG/KVT by 20% annually