Education Family Fun Day event scheduled

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Steve Bauer
  • 30th Space Wing Public Affairs
Vandenberg is scheduled to host a free Education Family Fun Day at the Youth Center here from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 18.

Vandenberg's Education Family Fun Day is an event open to all personnel (with base access) who are interested in learning more about the Exceptional Family Member Program and the resources available at the base for families with special needs. The day's activities will be led by trained professionals who are proficient at working with families with special needs. The event also includes a free catered lunch for all participants.

"The goal of this event is to increase the awareness among the Vandenberg community about the resources available for families with special needs," said Raymond Vasquez, an Airman and Family Readiness Center consultant. "This event is designed to inform families and individuals that there is a lot of support out there for them at Vandenberg."

What is EFMP? According to the Military OneSource Web site, EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical and personnel services to families with special needs. Airmen on active duty enroll in the program when they have a family member with a physical, emotional, developmental, or intellectual disorder requiring specialized services so their needs can be considered in the military personnel assignment process.

EFMP allows the assignment of Airmen to valid manning requirements where suitable medical, educational, or other resources are available to treat the family member. It provides special assignment consideration to Air Force members who have a spouse, child, or dependent adult with medical conditions requiring prolonged hospitalization or out-patient treatment.

To better meet the needs of the local families with special needs, Vandenberg has formed an EFMP multidisciplinary team. This team is comprised of personnel from TRICARE, AFRC, the 30th Medical Group, Vandenberg Youth Services and other participating members from the local community. The group meets monthly and discusses all matters relating to EFMP.

"We also discuss the needs of any family that any of the agencies may have interacted with," said Mr. Vasquez. "As a group, with all of the key players in one place, we can hopefully minimize the complications a family may run into when they are trying to navigate the system alone. Our goal is to reduce the amount of stress a family may have when trying to get services for their family member."

For those people interested in attending Vandenberg's Education Family Fun Day, registration should be completed by Sept. 16. For more information or to register for the event, call the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 606-0039.