JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The first annual Joint Base San Antonio Exceptional Military Family Resource Fair took place on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024 at Randolph High School. The event brought together more than 70 vendors, including community resources, military resources, and government agencies, to support military families with exceptional needs.
"This event is a collaboration between the Military School Districts' Cooperative, Randolph Field Independent School District, and the JBSA Exceptional Family Member Program,” said Mary Cruikshank, transition vocational coordinator for the Military School Districts' Cooperative. “It is the first event where we are working to have military, governmental, and community resources in one place for our families to learn about and connect with disability-related vendors and service providers."
The EFMP provides comprehensive support and services to military families with special medical or educational needs through identification and enrollment, assignment coordination and family support services. The program aims to ensure that the needs of family members are met so that service members can focus on their mission.
"This event is special because it brings together a wide range of resources in one place,” said Timmy Milligan, EFMP Family Support Navigator. “This offers a unique opportunity for families to access essential services and information."
The fair featured 70 vendors and 11 educational presentations on topics such as disability-related financial planning, legal considerations, guardianships, driver’s education, post-secondary options, healthcare, equipment resources, vehicles and transportation.
"This is a one-stop shop for connecting families to essential services, information, and supportive community," Milligan added.
The event highlighted the ongoing efforts to improve communication and resources for families with children with disabilities. "This resource fair is a one-stop shop for so many resourceful entities that can help provide services for families with special needs children,” said Lisa Martinez, a school psychologist at Randolph Field ISD. “While the services showcased were not specific to military families, we hosted them to maximize our military family’s knowledge and access to valuable resources.”
The JBSA Exceptional Family Member Program continues to work closely with military and civilian services to support families, ensuring that they have access to the resources they need. "EFMP does a great job in providing ongoing training for families to understand their rights as parents of students with disabilities and how to navigate the special education processes in the public school system," Martinez noted.
For more information, visit www.jbsa.mil/Resources/Military-Family-Support/Military-Family-Readiness/EFMP/ and also www.coop.fshisd.net/