The Foreign Service Journal, May 2007

basically, we’re all right. But we are glad to know you are there if we need someone.” As word spreads of the services available through FLO’s program specialist, an increasing number of employees and family members can gain that modicum of reassurance. Children’s Issues The final question in both the employees’ and family members’ sections of the survey asked about the impact of unaccompanied tours on children. Although Charleston’s payroll figures indicate that fewer than one out of four employees at unaccompanied posts receive ISMA for children, nearly half of the employees and three out of four family members who answered the sur- vey reported having children. At any given time, more than 250 Foreign Service minor children have a parent (or two) serving an unaccompanied tour for at least 12 months. In addition to the pain of separation, older children are also aware of the dangers their parents face. FLO is developing a series of age-appropriate handbooks to help children and their parents and care- givers cope with the separation, handle their anxiety and pave the way for a smoother reintegration of the family when the tour is over. Family members and employees expressed varying levels of concern over their children’s behavior once the tour began or was announced. In spite of parental con- cerns, observed behaviors raised no major alarms. However, there were differences in how the parents perceived their children. Employees currently on an unaccompanied assignment noted a slight increase in resisting authority, argumentative behavior and whin- ing, but family members were most likely to cite pro- crastination, protectiveness toward family, concern for F O C U S M A Y 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 31 Significantly, only 50 percent of all respondents had used FLO services.