The Foreign Service Journal, November 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2015 67 D.C., area. These include: re-entry seminars for high school and middle school students in the late summer, a college admissions workshop, teen and tween game nights at Oakwood Apartments and a September welcome-back picnic usually attended by more than 100 Foreign Service family members. In addition, FSYF’s Youth Evacuation Program assists FLO and AAFSW in providing emergency support to Foreign Service families who are evacuated from overseas. For more information, visit www.fsyf.org or email fsyf@fsyf. org. Dues are $20 per year. Also, FSYF is a tax-exempt charity, and you may want to consider a donation (CFC #39436). MED–State Department Office of Medical Services. The Department of State’s Employee Consultation Service, part of the Office of Medical Services, offers free, confidential referrals to professional clinical social workers for State employees and their family members. These counselors can assist parents and children with family problems, blended family concerns, school adjustment problems, re-entry concerns and other emo- tional problems. For more information, email MEDECS@state. gov or call (703) 812-2257. MED’s Child and Family Program supports employees whose children require mental health treatment or special educational consideration overseas. Services include certifying eligibility for the special needs educational allowance. For more informa- tion, visit http://med.m.state.sbu/mhs/cfp/default.aspx on the department’s intranet or email MEDCFP@state.gov . The bureau’s Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program covers education, consultation and treatment referrals for employees and family members dealing with alcohol or drug issues. The program also publishes guidance on helping kids stay drug-free. For more information, visit http://med.m.state.sbu/mhs/adap/ default.aspx (intranet) or call (202) 663-1904. State Department Office of Overseas Schools. The State Department’s Office of Overseas Schools, part of the Bureau of Administration, promotes quality K-12 education at posts worldwide. Regional educa- tion officers are available to discuss all aspects of educating a child while posted abroad, including special needs and gifted education. The office works with the schools it assists to design appropriate curricula, train high school counselors, support professional development and prepare school directors to work with the embassy/consulate parents they serve. It alsomakes avail- able professional/educational consultants to schools. Parents are encouraged to contact the office with any con- cerns regarding their child and their education; you may call (202) 261-8200 or email OverseasSchools@state.gov . For more information, visit www.state.gov/m/a/os/. State Department Bureau of Human Resources. The Office of Employee Relations, part of State’s Bureau of Human Resources, sponsors an Infor- mation Quest service. This offers 24/7 counseling, education and referral services for domestic programs, providers and resources to manage per- sonal and professional responsibilities. The InfoQuest website includes a large collection of general guidance regarding raising children. The service is open to all Department of State employ- ees. For more information, search “Information Quest” on the department’s intranet. AFSA. Last, but certainly not least, AFSA’s flagship publication, The Foreign Service Journal, has published dozens of articles over the years dealing with raising and educating Foreign Service kids. (See a listing at www.afsa.org/ educationarticles.) AFSA also offers need-ba sed and merit schol- arships that last year supported 85 college-bound Foreign Service students with awards and scholarships totaling nearly $260,000. For more information, visit www.afsa.org/scholar. Consider a contribution to AFSA’s scholarship fund (CFC#11759). The nonprofit organizations and Department of State offices that I have just described work hard to assist Foreign Service youth in their global upbringing. My own children benefited greatly from a number of those programs over the years. Even though my recent retirement means that they no longer need these resources, I volunteered as president of the Foreign Service Youth Foundation to help ensure the continuation of this social safety net for future generations. Parents of Foreign Service kids can support that goal by utilizing the programs and services described in this column and by supporting the organizations that provide them. n MED’s Child and Family Program supports employees whose children require mental health treatment or special educational consideration overseas.