Military PCS Moves and School Transitions: What Parents Need to Know

Approaching a permanent change of station (PCS) is a part of life for most military families. According to the Military Child Education Coalition, the average military-connected child moves between six and nine times from starting Kindergarten to graduating from high school. Because of that, they’ll attend numerous schools and transition to new friend groups, extracurriculars, and environments during these formative years.

Even though this season can be daunting and overwhelming, many resources help military kids thrive. Preparing them for the move by keeping communication open and learning about their new home is key. Sometimes, you can time your move to work well with school schedules and natural transitions. No matter what, supporting your child through this part of life is essential to helping them succeed at school and make the most of the valuable opportunities that come with being a military kid.

Typically, you’ll have quite a bit of time to prepare for an upcoming military move. Even when you first check in to a new duty station, you’ll have an estimated date when you are eligible to receive new orders. So you can give your child a realistic idea as you get closer to an upcoming move.

Once you know when and where, share that information with your child in an age-appropriate way. You can put it on a calendar so they can visualize the time frame. For older kids, making a list of to-do items leading up to moving day can help break things down as well. Younger kids may enjoy getting to help research fun places to go and things to do in their new home.

A basic timeline starts with finding out about your upcoming move. Once things are confirmed, you can let your child know what to expect. This typically happens a few months before the move date, but it may even be earlier. Some military families like to include children in the discussion about potential moves, while some wait until things are set and they have an official copy of orders in hand. Decide what is best for your child and family.

After you’ve told your child, you can let their teachers, coaches, and other adults in their lives know about the upcoming move. Keeping these people in the loop helps them not only support your child through the process but also prepare to transfer records or information to the new network. Depending on your child’s age, you may want to let them handle telling friends of the move. If you’re unsure, you can always talk to your child about how they want to handle breaking the news.

In the weeks right before moving, involve your child in the process as much as possible for their age and abilities. Let them pack up their own bags and boxes, or at least designate items to be left out (if you’re having professional movers do the rest with a traditional HHG move). If possible, bring your child with you house hunting so they can scope out their new home.

On actual moving day, talk to your child about what to expect. This can be a long day full of mixed emotions, so check in frequently as a family. Younger children may have trouble being patient through a long day of packing and moving. Consider taking breaks or even asking a friend or family member to help keep them entertained. Older kids generally keep up with the pace a little easier, but don’t discount the complex feelings they may be having. Moving day is often when it hits the hardest that they are moving to a new place.

It’s also important to realize that your child may have many feelings during this time and that even these can change day-to-day. If you don’t share information about your upcoming move for fear of upsetting them, they will likely have a harder time when the actual day comes. Even young children can sense that things are changing. Keeping communication open can ensure they are equipped to handle the transition.

A few tips to help when starting the conversation and communicating throughout the moving process.

• Be open about plans. Military kids likely already know that plans can change based on the service’s needs. Doing your best to keep them informed goes a long way, especially when changing orders or timelines throw the entire family for a loop.
• Keep things simple for younger kids. They may have a lot of questions, or they may take more time to process things. Start simple and answer questions as they come up.
• Expect a roller coaster of emotions. Just because your child says they are excited about the move one day doesn’t mean they won’t feel sad about leaving friends the next. Checking in with them often gives them space to share how they feel.

One of the most important things you can do throughout the moving process is to maintain a positive attitude with your child. Even though there are challenging aspects of moving, keeping a positive outlook helps your entire family approach the transition with optimism and excitement.

Be aware of the language you use when talking about the move. Online resources can provide vocabulary, questions, and conversation starters to use with your family.

However, acknowledge your child’s feelings and recognize that they may not always be excited about moving. Tell them it is normal to feel a whole range of emotions when moving. But bring it back to a positive outlook when you can.

DoDEA stands for the Department of Defense Education Activity and works to provide education for children of Department of Defense employees, including the military. DoDEA schools tend to be on or associated with bases in areas with a high concentration of DoD personnel.

These schools operate both in the United States and overseas. While it may not be the only or best option where you move, it’s helpful to reach out to any available DoDEA schools to learn more about the area. Sometimes, enrolling your child in a school that provides extra support to military-connected kids helps ease the transition.

The DoDEA office will also have information to help families explore homeschooling, virtual school, boarding school, and traditional in-person education.

Whether you are looking into a school specifically for military youth or just want to know more about the local schools in your new home, a School Liaison Officer (SLO) should be your first point of contact as you navigate your move. You can reach out to them via the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) office at your new duty station.

The School Liaison Officer is knowledgeable about the various education options in the area as well as how to enroll, transfer records, and set up your child for success. If you move to a new state, there may be different course progressions or graduation requirements, which can pose a challenge for high school-aged kids. The SLO knows how to navigate this and has personal connections at the area schools to streamline the process.

If your child has special needs or services, contact the SLO early in the process to ensure the smoothest transition possible. You may need to set up meetings, provide documentation, and communicate with the school before ever arriving to ensure your child’s needs are met.

You can find the contact information for your School Liaison Officer through the website of your new base or installation.

Moving can be expensive, so make sure you know the available programs to help with the costs. Most of the time, you’ll receive a one-time reimbursement or allotment, called a Dislocation Allowance (DLA), for moving-related expenses. This can vary based on the type of PCS move you conduct and what is authorized for your situation.

If you have younger children, you may need to consider the cost of daycare or after-school care. While many military bases have centers included, they aren’t always available or convenient. In these cases, you may be able to receive a scholarship or other reimbursement for childcare.

The National Military Family Association, Child Care Aware of America, and DoDEA offer services to help make your move go smoothly with children.

The exact time your child can be out of school varies by state. Individual school districts and state-mandated attendance policies set the time frame. The best thing to do is to keep lines of communication open with your child’s previous school and new school. Plans can change during a military move, so keeping everyone informed is especially important.

In most cases, areas with many military-connected youth are used to the attendance issues that can come with a military move. You can also reach out to your School Liaison Officer to learn more about regulations in your new home and how best to proceed if you expect your child to be out of school for an extended time.

You may not always have many options with your moving timeline, but if you do, you can target specific times of year to make the move easier on your school-aged child. Natural transitions, such as holiday or summer breaks, are good moving times. Because your child will already be out of school, they may not even need to miss any school days.

Consider the following times when planning your move:

• Summer break from school
• Holiday breaks
• Between grade levels
• Switching school levels (elementary to middle)

There may be times when moving in the middle of the year is necessary for your military orders. If so, give your child a day or two after you arrive in your new home to get their footing before heading back to school. Talk to the counseling office about the best ways to ease them into the new environment. Keep communication open with your child to help them get comfortable.

When moving within the continental U.S (CONUS), the transition from one school district or one state to another tends to be a bit smoother. Federal laws, including a common set of educational standards and protections for students with disabilities, apply across states. Schools are often used to getting new students from other areas and have processes to handle their registration and enrollment.

If moving overseas, outside the continental US (OCONUS), you may have to take extra steps to set up your child at school. First, you must decide if you want to stick with a DoDEA or English-speaking school or if you want your child to attend the local school. In some areas, the military has additional regulations about where dependent family members can go. In some countries, schools are structured differently and use different terminology to refer to students. In these cases, your School Liaison Officer is vital to ensure that your child gets the best education and is placed in the right classes.

Even though most military families will face at least one move (and many experience much more), being ready to help your child transition to a new school can go a long way to ensure a smooth move. The School Liaison Officer can connect you with valuable resources and answer questions about your specific situation and community.

Download AHRN’s PCS toolkit for helpful tips and tricks and step-by-step guides to navigating your move. From finding a new home to registering your child for a new school, you’ve got this!