Child custody cases are often very complex matters. For parents in the military, the considerations associated with a child custody case are often more complex than those associated with civilian child custody cases. One reason for this is that military parents have to plan ahead for what will happen with their child when they are called out on a deployment.
The military has addressed some of the issues pertaining to parents being deployed by requiring some parents to complete a family care plan that outlines who will care for the child while the parent is deployed. If both of the child’s parents are in the military, both parents will have to sign the same family care plan.
Anyone who is in the military and has custody of a child who is 19 years old or younger has to have a family care plan if he or she is a single parent or if the child’s other custodial parent is in the military. All pregnant women who are single and serving in the military have to have a family care plan. Even parents who aren’t required to have a family care plan, such as if one parent is in the military and the other is a civilian, might find that a family care plan reduces the stress associated with planning for the child’s care during a deployment.
There are two types of family care plans that parents should prepare. In both the long-term care plan and the short-term care plan, a civilian has to be named as the caregiver. The main difference is that the caregiver has to be close by for a short-term plan, but can be far away for a long-term plan.
Even if you are still in the midst of the child custody battle, a family care plan is a good idea. There might be special considerations that require your attention, so seeking out answers to any questions is vital.
Source: Stateside Legal, “Creating a Family Care Plan,” accessed Sep. 12, 2015