Mentors befriend children with deployed parents

  • Published
  • By Airmen 1st Class Candy Miller
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE,Texas --  The Airman & Family Readiness Center recently implemented a program that gives children with deployed parents a military friend with which to relate. 

The Military Mentoring Program assigns each child at Sheppard Elementary a mentor to meet with for about 30 minutes at least once every month, but many mentors choose to visit the children more often than that. 

"Mentors alleviate the stress of being separated from their parent," said Michelle Schroeder, a community readiness consultant with the Airman & Family Readiness Center. "They're not just a mentor, they're a friend." 

She said the children can relate the uniform of their mentor the uniform of their parents and it benefits the children for another active duty member to say they appreciate what their parents are doing while deployed. 

"We want the children to know how important they are and that we appreciate their sacrifice." Mrs. Schroeder said. 

She said the idea for the program came from 1st Lt. Jason Forquer, a staff social worker for the 82nd Medical Operations Squadron, and his wife. They based the program off of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program so children can have a friend to help them through rough times, he said. 

Lieutenant Forquer said many programs focus on the spouses of the deployed members, but forget that the children are struggling too. 

According to DeAnna Burt, the spouse of a deployed Sheppard member, the program has made a difference. 

"I know it has helped me with the idea of their father not being around. It also helps my husband because he knows his family is being taken care of," she said. 

Mrs. Burt said her children are very excited about their mentor and receive more than a monthly visitor. 

The children feel special and appreciated when someone comes to visit them, she said. 

Ms. Schroeder said she hopes to expand the program to other schools in the area that have students with deployed parents.