Military children honored in April Published April 11, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Shane M. Phipps 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- In an effort to emphasize the importance of maintaining the well-being of the "total force," which includes active duty, and their dependants, spouses and children, the 1986 Secretary of Defense designated each April as "The Month of The Military Child." As a result commands across the globe will conduct various activities in celebration of all military children, and MHAFB is no exception. A total of nine different activities hosted by three different organizations on base will be conducted throughout the month of April. Youth Programs, the Child Development Center and Family Child Care are dedicated to making April memorable for all youth involved. "We are trying to celebrate these kids because they do have certain, unique obstacles due to deployments and other family issues that arise in a military environment," said Lissa Hall, school-age coordinator, MHAFB Youth Programs. "We continue to tell them they matter." Youth Programs will host the majority of activities, which include a Kidz Klub day on April 21. "Kidz Klub is special because it allows five through eight-year-olds a rare opportunity to be themselves without parents present, whereas normally those age groups are required to be accompanied by parental supervision while in the facility," explained Bill Heatter, adolescent and teen program director for Youth Programs. Another Youth Programs function slated for April 20 is a Hip-Hop Family Skate session, where parents can skate for free. "This is a time we will focus on the children. We have all the skates here, and usually we give out prizes for various contests," said Hall. The month will conclude with the CDC's annual Month of the Military Child Parade and the Family Child Care field trip to the Boise zoo. Both events will take place April 27. This month is designed to pay tribute to the perseverance these youth exhibit in an effort to face their daily challenges. Williams feels this month-long recognition is necessary to help relieve the stress of being the child of a military member. "I think it's important we have set aside a specific month dedicated to activities designed to let them know how special they are," explained Williams. All upcoming events are: CDC April 27: Annual Month of the Military Child parade Youth Programs April 20: Hip Hop Family Skate, School-Age Parent/Child Play Date April 21: Kids Klub April 24: School-Age Parent Breakfast FCC April 17: Kite Day at Holt Park April 27: Field trip to Boise zoo For more information on the Youth Program activities, contact their Front Desk at 828-2501. For more information on the FCC activities, call 828-6715. For more information on the Annual Month of the Military Child Parade, contact the CDC at 828-2443.