Military families

Each threatened shutdown can lead to stress in the military community about missing paychecks and losing access to federal programs.

Staffing shortages and a lack of facilities have contributed to the long waits for childcare, though the situation has improved somewhat since the pandemic.

Since February, Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville has held up military nominations and promotions to pressure the Biden administration to reverse a policy that provides troops with leave time and travel funds to obtain abortions.

In 2021, Congress reversed a policy that blocked students with dependents from continuing their studies at the highly competitive military academies. The change is scheduled to take effect in the upcoming school year.

The Navy is building more on-base childcare centers and launching new programs to help sailors and their families. But advocates and parents say it’s not enough.

When service members move from base to base, they sometimes find it takes too long for their child's new school to begin providing special education services.

Military families can move to new bases if they're stationed in states with laws hostile to LGBTQ people. But families who try to take advantage of the program may face barriers.

The military is having a tough time finding new recruits, and one factor may be its heavy reliance on families of those who’ve served.

Constant and sometimes sudden moves can disrupt military families' finances and cause challenges with their children’s schools and medical care.

Spouses who work in professions that require state licenses often hit roadblocks when they move to a new state. A few states are trying to streamline the licensing process.