The Foreign Service Journal, April 2020

44 APRIL 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL she says, “SNEA is an educational allowance; we would like to see the department adopt the approach that it trusts parents” to make educational choices on behalf of their own children. Last year the State Department initiated a pilot program allowing FSOs to bid on posts even if their family members had not yet been medically cleared. A great idea, some parents say—but until MED begins to process clearances in a timely fashion, it isn’t much help to parents, because medical clearances still need to be received before paneling. Still, says one parent, if you get an assignment, then you’ll have someone at your incoming post advocating on your behalf with MED, because post wants you cleared to serve. Before the pilot program began, bidders were all alone in their battles with MED. Parents Respond to the Changes Many parents are withholding judgment at the moment, with most saying they haven’t yet seen the promised changes go into effect. But they are hopeful that, given time to increase and expand its staffing, MED will make good on the promises outlined in 3 FAM 3280. One FSO parent says he applauds the new policies and the effort it took to put them in place. When the initial cable came out, he “hoped things would be different.” But sadly, he has not yet seen a change. “Policies are just policies until they are put into action,” he says. “While the policy has changed, the people have not; and in our case, we have not seen a positive change. MED is still a dysfunctional office with no accountability.” Several people close to the task force specifically named Ste- ven Walker, formerly a deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Human Resources, as the person who deserves thanks for pushing these changes through. (Mr. Walker was unable to comment for this article.) Parents are appreciative of his effort; but still, while progress has been made, says one, there’s “a practical side where things aren’t where they need to be yet, largely because staffing within the Child and Family program office was decimated, leaving only one person to process all SNEA cables and claims worldwide.” Changes to the policy aren’t happening where families can see them, and AFSA’s Townsend says this lack of transparency is because the Office of Child and Family Programs (MED/ MHS/CFP) has been “critically shorthanded,” with just one employee processing all requests, resulting in delays for fami- lies seeking SNEA authorization or reimbursement. The good news, she says, is that “MED is making progress now with hir- ing, and if that stays on track, MHS/CFP will be up to six staff by this summer.” And, for the first time, MED’s staff will include a profes- sional with expertise in special needs education, something for which parents have long asked. What Can You Do? So what can you do if your family is still stuck in a SNEA nightmare, beyond simply waiting for MED to staff up and enforce its new policy? For starters, familiarize yourself with 3 FAM 3280 and the revised DSSR. Consider hiring an educational consultant or educational attorney to help you understand what assistance your child is entitled to under U.S. law. If you are an AFSA member, you can contact senior grievance counselor Heather Townsend for help interpreting the new rules. Or join the For- eign Service Families with Disabilities Alliance, whose mem- bership advocates on behalf of families like yours. Educational counselor Rebecca Grappo, who has helped numerous Foreign Service families navigate these waters, remembers that SNEA used to be a “wonderful” program, one that helped parents and the department work collaboratively rather than causing friction and mistrust between the two groups. Many parents also recall that until a few years ago, the program ran smoothly and helped families develop creative solutions to their children’s unique health care and educa- tional needs. The State Department needs to make this program work again, says Grappo, “because they need to staff embassies all over the world. You want it staffed? Take care of people’s kids. This is in the interest of the U.S. government; it’s not a perk. You need people, and you have people who will go, and they will serve where you need them—as long as their kids are being taken care of.” n Last year the State Department initiated a pilot program allowing FSOs to bid on posts even if their family members had not yet been medically cleared.