62 JUNE 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT Navigating the Foreign Service Educational Landscape BY REBECCA MCPHERSON FROM THE DECEMBER 2024 FSJ EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT Whether you are new to the Foreign Service community or have been posted overseas for years, you’re likely to have questions about education issues that affect you and your family members overseas. … Understanding where to go and who to talk to is paramount when you are navigating your child’s education. For many FS parents, the first stop is the Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO), formerly the Family Liaison Office. GCLO’s mission for the past 46 years has been to advocate for solutions to challenges posed by the Foreign Service lifestyle, to provide programs and client services that cater to all demographics in the community, and to extend these services overseas through the management of the Community Liaison Office (CLO) Program. Under the GCLO umbrella, the education and youth team functions as a central resource hub providing comprehensive information and connecting FS members to partner offices that can help answer questions and guide clients to what, where, and how to meet the educational needs of their children. … Heading back to D.C. for language training or an assignment? GCLO’s childcare webpage provides information on preschools and daycare facilities in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, including at the Foreign Service Institute and near Main State. It also includes links to free preschools in Washington, D.C., as well as summer camp options. Supporting children during transitions from school to school and post to post can be a daunting endeavor. Many factors come into play: everything from the size of the school to the course offerings, whether there is an orchestra or volleyball team, and if the student culture is welcoming. If your child has specific behavioral, social, emotional, or educational needs, and you want to find out which schools overseas can meet these needs, connect with the regional education officers (REOs) in the Office of Overseas Schools. REOs have decades of experience as educators and administrators in international schools and maintain close working relationships with the school directors at the Department of State’s assisted schools. Also check with the Child and Family Program (CFP) at the Bureau of Medical Services, as they determine eligibility and provide authorization for the Special Needs Education Allowance (SNEA). If you are transitioning back to the D.C. area, the GCLO report “Bouncing Back: Transition and Reentry Planning for the Parents of Foreign Service Youth” can help you guide your children through this process. If you have questions about dual immersion language programs or need to know which public schools offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, take a look at the resources listed on GCLO’s website. The coordinators of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) public school student registration offices understand the challenges that highly mobile families face and can be helpful when navigating the registration process. GCLO meets with and maintains a list of those contacts in its annual School Enrollment Guidance checklist; contact GCLOAskEducation@state.gov to request the list. Homeschooling and virtual schooling have significantly increased since 2020, and GCLO now includes more than 100 home study programs that have been used by families in the FS community on its website. Familiarize yourself with the allowances available for homeschooling and accredited distance learning programs to help narrow down your choices. And remember that you can seek support from both the Office of Allowances (AOPRALS@state. gov) and your post financial management officer (FMO), who can guide you through the process of confirming which expenses are reimbursable. Rebecca McPherson has been a Foreign Service family member for 10 years, serving both overseas and domestically. She joined the Global Community Liaison Office in January 2020, first as the support services specialist and, in September 2021, as the education and youth program specialist. She is currently on a DETO assignment while posted to Angola.
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