BAMBERG, Germany -- The Exceptional Family Member Program is receiving enormous praise by the military community and is being viewed as one of the premier initiatives the Army has taken in recent years to care for service members and their Families.
EFMP is a plan that provides comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical, and personnel services to families with special needs, according to Army One Source Web site.
Soldiers on active duty enroll in the program when they have a family member with a physical, emotional, developmental, or intellectual disorder requiring specialized services.
"I think it is fantastic how the Army has put more focus on the Family," said Jen Berbach, who has been an Army spouse for 18 years. "The Army knows if the family is happy the Soldier will be happy and be able to perform his duties better."
Berbach, who is married to Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Berbach, who is assigned to 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, said her life, as the wife of a service member, would have been much less stressful had the program been given more emphasis years ago.
Much of that emphasis in supporting Soldiers and their Families has come from the Army Family Covenant, which is a pledge that was signed Oct. 17, 2007 by senior Army leaders recognizing "the strength of our Soldiers comes from the strength of their Families."
Spc. Esmeralda Aviles, who is assigned to 106th Finance Company, uses EFMP services and agrees the Army is meeting her expectations.
By acknowledging these strengths, obligating resources and following through with the Army's commitment to provide practical Family programs, Soldiers feel more confident the Army is concerned about their overall wellbeing.
Sandi Cox, an EFMP manager here, said the program is providing an enormous benefit for parents who qualify for the services.
Respite care is one part of EFMP that is making a difference for Soldiers and Family members.
"It gives Families with special needs a short reprieve," Cox said. "It's a much needed service."
Cox has 13 qualified respite care providers and nine others who are training to be qualified providers.
Those who qualify for the service can get 40 hours of respite care a month.
"I give them the option of getting some stress relief," said Renee Leach, a respite care provider. "Whenever they need me, I'm available."
Having a special needs child can be a little overwhelming at times, Cox said, and each child has a unique quality no matter if the diagnosis is the same.
With that in mind, Leach makes sure to communicate with the parents so both the parents and the provider can understand the child's needs better. This allows Leach to adapt to the child's behavior.
Just getting a few hours to oneself can be beneficial to the health and wellness of a parent, so giving the parents some breathing space can provide a better state of mind.
Berbach, who used to manage part of respite care for EFMP in Bamberg, said the program supports an African Proverb and a common quote made famous by Hillary Rodham Clinton, "it takes a village to raise a child."
"This is part of the village in order to keep the families happy and healthy," Berbach said.
Respite care providers are paid by the Army for their service but are not fulltime employees, Cox said. The financial support comes from Global War on Terrorism funding.
Screening for EFMP consists of medical records review for all family members, and developmental screening for all children 72 months of age and younger.
The EFMP is a Department of the Army Program designed to assist military personnel during assignments or reassignments sponsoring Exceptional Family Members (EFM) with special physical, emotional, developmental, or intellectual needs.
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