1. Homeschool Status.   If our children were enrolled in public school before the COVID-19 Crisis, now that their public school is now closed, are they now considered homeschool students?
   
   Answer:  Students enrolled in public schools who are being taught virtually or through other means with parent support are not considered homeschooled students. They are still public school students learning in their homes. Which means, since they are not a registered homeschool (most states require some form of registering), they are not a homeschool and do not need to worry about meeting state homeschool laws. This also means that when they move to a new state, they are still protected by the Interstate Compact since their child is in public school. If a parent chooses to disenroll their child from public school and establish a homeschool within the rules of the state they are residing they can. However, when they move their child would not be covered by the Interstate Compact. 
    
2. PCS and Enrolling during COVID-19.  If we PCS during COVID-19 and the schools at our new duty station are closed so that we cannot register, what will this mean for our children as far as getting credit for completing the school year?  
   
   Answer:  This has become an issue in some states.  Due to the method in which schools were closed, schools may not have been permitted to enroll new students for a time.  We understand that schools will be working with the families caught in this situation individually on a case by case basis.  Clearly, this will be handled differently in each district.  We encourage parents to be patient as it may take a week or two due to staff reductions and limited support on school campuses. Our best recommendation is for parents to start at the district level when seeking information, as many schools may not have any staff on site, but the district offices will likely have skeleton staff available to answer questions of this nature. 
   Additionally, parents may want to consider contacting the sending school before they leave to see if their child can continue attending the sending school virtually until the receiving school can accept them.  Ideally, all schools will work with families to make this possible.  However, it is likely that it will depend on how military-friendly the school district and community is.
    

A special thank you to Rollie Sampson, District Military Liaison for Moore County Schools, Moore County, North Carolina for providing us with this important and timely information.

Here are some MCEC Parent to Parent resources that may be helpful.  From different activities you can do with your children, to resources to help discuss what is happening and hopefully ease some of the challenges you're facing.  We will continue to add more as we have them available for you.

• Creating Strong Families Handout
• Coping Skills Handout
• Growing Great Readers Resource
• Kids in the Kitchen Resource
• Persistent and Challenging Behaviors Resource
• Establishing Screentime Boundaries Resource
• STEM Food - More Than Just Vegetables Resource
• The Magic of the Family Meal Resource
• Turning Stress into Strength Resource
• Dr. Ginsburg's 7 C's of Resiliency Handout
• Parent-Teacher Conference Planning Handout

The webinars listed here address topics that we believe may be of particular interest and help to you during this challenging time.  You can also find our upcoming live webinars on our webinar page.

• Creating Strong Families
• Developing Positive Coping Strategies
• Effective Listening and Discipline
• Encouraging Military-Connected Kids to be Healthy and Fit
• Facing Challenges Together:  Raising Secure Children in an Uncertain World
• Fostering Resilience in Military Children
• Growth Mindset
• Importance of Sleep for Children and Teens
• Internet Safety - Elementary School
• Internet Safety - Middle/High School
• Kids and Anxiety with Dr. Eric Flake
• Kids in the Kitchen
• Magic of the Family Meal
• Parent-Teacher Conferences (in case parents need to hold a virtual conference)
• Persistent and Challenging Behaviors
• Supporting Kids with Autism and Other Developmental Challenges
• Supporting Military Children During Separation:  Training, Deployment, Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief
• Turning Stress Into Strength

Here are some additional resources from trusted organizations that may also be helpful during this challenging time.

• Sesame Workshop - Caring for Each Other website

• 101+ Ideas to Keep Kids Busy During Corona Virus Closures by Tara Kassel, Sr. Contributor Forbes.com

• Emergency Homeschooling: How to Support your Kids During a Coronavirus School Closure

• How to Homeschool During the Coronavirus Crisis (with free resources)

• Frequently Asked Questions during COVID-19

• Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus

• Learning at Home - Resources

• EdWeek - Map of School Closures by State

• When Covid-19 Says "You Now Have to Homeschooler"

• TEA Covid-19 Support and Guidance

• Sesame Street - Caring for Each Other

• DoD MWR Digital Library

• The Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read Alouds & Activities

• 16 Card Games That Will Turn Your Students Into Math Aces

• Non-Screen Activities You Can Do At Home

The best way to find out about the programs in your area is to email or call the team using the contact information in the sidebar.  You may also follow the team Facebook page by entering "Parent to Parent -" and then the city where they are located using the list on the sidebar, i.e. "Parent to Parent - Charleston, SC".  

Yes, there is an option to have a team come to your installation for a one time training event. More information about this option can be obtained by contacting the MCEC Parent Programs Manager at the MCEC office (254.953.1923 ext 1142)

A list of program locations can be found in the sidebar. For specific information about vacancies at these locations, as well as training dates, contact the MCEC Parent to Parent Manager at the MCEC office. (254.953.1923 ext. 1142)

Yes. Training for new team members is provided through a hybrid of virtual training and OJT with the community team. An annual update and refresher training is usually held in conjunction with the MCEC National Training Seminar each year in July. All expenses for the training are covered and the participants receive a stipend for completing the training.