What Is a Twitter Chat?
A Twitter chat is like a meeting on Twitter; it has a specific discussion topic and a scheduled start time. Using the hashtag #MilCents at the end of each tweet, MFAN will ask questions to a group of financial experts.
Blog
The MFAN blog spotlights the latest news affecting our community.
MFAN Research: Privatized Military Housing Survey Executive Summary
The mission of the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) is to connect military families with leaders and decision makers. We share the stories of those who serve and respond to their needs through collaboration and, when needed, program development. After hearing from military families about issues with privatized military housing last October, MFAN began researching...
Read MoreChanges are coming to the child care waitlist
Child care is notoriously challenging to find. Across the country, families struggle to place their children in safe and affordable care and are often on waitlists for a significant amount of time. Military families often have extra considerations when seeking care for their children due to extended work hours, unexpected travel, and distance from family members and loved ones. A new memo from...
Read MoreWhen your spouse deploys without notice
It was a Thursday in December, and I was cautiously navigating the Raleigh-Durham International Airport parking lot when my phone rang. It was my husband. I answered, “Hello?” “Hey, what are you doing?” “I’m trying to figure out where I’m supposed to go to pick your mom up, so I can’t really talk. What’s up?” “Well I just found...
Read MoreRelationship Advice for Military Couples
This time of year is all about love and romance, but ask any couple and they’ll tell you a good relationship requires a lot more than just a card and some chocolates. All relationships take work, but the added stressors of military life mean that military couples need to be especially conscious about taking care of their relationships with their spouse. By...
Read MoreIntroducing the Military Housing Roundtable
It’s been exactly one year since MFAN shared the results of the 2019 Privatized Military Housing Survey with Congress. Since the first Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on February 12, 2019, we’ve shared what we’ve learned widely, we’ve met with the Department of Defense, with several of the Services, with GAO, with nonprofit and business...
Read MoreSocial Media Rules for Military Spouses
Instagram, Facebook, and other social media apps are a fantastic way to keep in touch with loved ones at home and friends and neighbors from previous duty stations. I love getting the chance to see my friends’ babies turn into kids and celebrate their latest successes in spelling bees and on the basketball courts. But,...
Read MoreLooking ahead: What to expect from MFAN in 2020
To our friends, followers, partners, and fellow military families: When we founded Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) nearly seven years ago, we knew we wanted to connect leaders across the public and private sectors with the real lived experiences of military families. We knew there was a sea of goodwill and that people truly wanted...
Read MoreFinding fitness support as a military spouse
Are you hoping to spend more time focusing on your health and wellness? Some of the most significant barriers to success to achieving personal fitness can be knowing where to find fitness resources or finding those resources only to have to pack and move shortly after. Fortunately, military spouses have access to a variety of gyms, fitness...
Read MoreWhere do you turn for help during a deployment?
As military families, we expect separations. After a few decades of war, we’ve become accustomed to our service members coming and going for training, TDYs, and deployments. We know they are well-trained and are ready to answer their nation’s call, whenever it comes. What we aren’t always ready for is the timing, especially when deployments...
Read MoreSetting SMART Goals for a New You
Judging by my social media feeds, most people are setting resolutions for 2020 with the hope of being a little bit happier and healthier in 2020. If you’re focusing on health and wellness in the New Year, you aren’t alone! This time of the year, the gym is packed and everyone seems to be starting a new...
Read MoreIs Military Life Worth the Wear and Tear?
As I write this, my husband is sitting on the couch with his foot, bandaged and bruised, propped up in front of him. We are getting ready to celebrate the New Year, but we won’t be out dancing this time. This is the third time this year that he’s recovered from surgery on the couch. All...
Read MoreAsk Me About Our Holiday Apart
My husband and I have been together for almost twenty years. We have spent literally dozens of holidays apart due to deployments, his TDYs, and my work travel. Our first separation as a couple was in the days following 9/11, and time spent apart has been the norm ever since. My children, who are still...
Read MoreHelp is not a Four-Letter Word
As a chaplain, I have the opportunity of spending a lot of time with service members and their families. I often see them through the best and worst moments of their lives, but most importantly, I see them in the everyday moments too. Just last month, I participated in a “Families of the Deployed” event...
Read MoreA Military Family Holiday Story
This guest post is by Joanna Guldin, a member of our 2019-2021 Advisory Board. This is the second post in a series titled The Resiliency of Military Families: Sharing the Whole Story. It was the first Christmas of our marriage. It also happened to be the first and only time I had eaten Christmas dinner...
Read MoreThe Resiliency of Military Families: Sharing the Whole Story
I love this time of year. I love seeing friends and family. I love watching my young children get excited about Santa and Elf on the Shelf (yes, I got sucked into that). I also love watching other people and other families enjoy this time of the year. Thanks to social media, the once-a-year holiday...
Read MoreHoliday Resources for Military Families
Our research tells us that many military families struggle with food insecurity and budget shortfalls. You may have trouble putting food on the table year-round, and this stress is even more apparent over the holidays. We believe that all families should have the resources they need to serve their families healthy, nutritious meals and that...
Read More