The Foreign Service Journal, March 2009

M A R C H 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 25 more than 100 books since the program began in June 2008. The handbooks, available as downloadable PDFs on our intranet site, were written in collaboration with a contrac- tor who is a Foreign Service spouse and mother with a doc- torate in clinical psychology. The handbooks are ac- companied by a CD-ROM for the parent at post and an- other for the parent/guardian “at home,” and contain edu- cational information and activities to complete separately or interactively as a way for families to maintain communi- cation and document the events that occur while one par- ent is away. When parents at posts are preparing for the end of their assignments, we encourage them to request Medals and Certificates of Recognition for their children. These medals and certificates are the department’s way of saying “thank you” to the children for their sacrifice during the separation. Since the program began inMay 2006, close to 800 children have been honored. At many embassies, the deputy chief of mission or ambassador works with the Community Liaison Office to facilitate the presentation of the medals to the children (at the request of the parent) at an awards ceremony or holiday gathering. It’s a small ges- ture, but one that puts a smile (or an occasional tear) on the child’s face. We also invite all children who have received these medals throughout the year to attend the annual Foreign Service Youth Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C., in July to be recognized by the department. Community Liaison Office Coordinators At more than 200 posts, the CLO works with manage- ment and the community to maintain high morale through orientation activities, cultural and recreational programs, dissemination of information, counseling and referral, and assistance with security, education and employment for family members. Their services are especially important at high-stress, unaccompanied posts. There are CLOs at 10 of the 21 fully or partially unac- companied posts. FLO is working to establish a CLO po- F O C U S