Military Families

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Extended and repeated deployments can cause significant stress to military families and may result in lower levels of reenlistment. RAND research has explored the need for military-sponsored child care and the role of military spouses, and continues to provide guidance to policymakers on how to attract and retain personnel with essential skills while also supporting military families.

Report
Preventing Domestic Abuse in the U.S. Armed Forces
Domestic abuse has severe consequences for service members, their families and, potentially, unit readiness. What strategies could help prevent domestic abuse before it occurs and help the military with communication to reach individuals who might have risk factors for domestic abuse?
May 16, 2023
Essay
Why Are U.S. Military Families Experiencing Food Insecurity?
Around a quarter of active-duty service members qualify as “food insecure.” But what's causing that, how to fix it—even what it means—is not clear. Food insecurity is a multifaceted problem that needs multifaceted solutions.
Nov 6, 2023

Explore Military Families

Report
Why Military Spouses Earn Less Than Civilians
Spouses of military service members have difficulty finding jobs and receiving similar pay when compared to civilian counterparts. A new RAND report offers solutions for this and other discrepancies.
Oct 5, 2004
Research Brief
The Employment and Earnings of Military Wives
Military spouses may encounter unique obstacles to pursuing work, including the rigid and unpredictable demands on the military member's time as well as frequent reassignments and changes of residence.
Jan 1, 2004
Report
Examining the Cost of Military Child Care
This book presents estimates of the cost of providing care in DoD-operated Child Development Centers(CDCs), Family Child Care (FCC) homes, and centers operated by outside providers under contract to the DoD.
Apr 29, 2002
Research Brief
What Are the Costs of Operating the Military's Child Care System?
This research brief describes work documented in Examining the Cost of Military Child Care (MR-1415-OSD).
Jan 1, 2002
Report
Impact Aid and the Education of Military Children
This report examines the workings of the Impact Aid law, especially as it relates to military children.
Jan 1, 2001
Dissertation
Military Compensation in the Age of Two-Income Households: Adding Spouses' Earnings to the Compensation Policy Mix
Analysis of Current Population Survey data and the 1992 DoD Survey of Officers, Enlisted Personnel, and their Spouses demonstrate that the spouses of soldiers and airmen incur the heaviest burden of earnings penalty due to service specific factors.
Jan 1, 2000
Report
An Evaluation of Housing Options for Military Families
Closing the gap in economic disparity between on- and off-base housing, and enhancing programs that aid service members in procuring off-base accommodations, would provide the greatest benefit to services and members.
Jan 1, 1999
Research Brief
Why Do Military Families Live in On-Base Housing?
The National Defense Research Institute (NDRI) focuses on those who use the housing--the service members and their families. Service members choose to live on-base primarily for economic reasons.
Jan 1, 1999
Research Brief
The Armed Services' Response to the Military Child Care Act
By mid 1993, just over three years after its passage, the Military Child Care Act of 1989 (MCCA) had largely succeeded in two of its major goals: improving the quality of care and ensuring its affordability for military parents.
Jan 1, 1998
Report
Examining the Implementation and Outcomes of the Military Child Care Act of 1989
This report examines the implementation and outcomes of the Military Child Care Act of 1989 (MCCA).
Jan 1, 1998
Report
Military child care : toward an integrated delivery system
Military child care : toward an integrated delivery system
Jan 1, 1996
Report
The Demand for Military Health Care: Supporting Research for a Comprehensive Study of the Military Health Care System
In weighing the pros and cons of various alternatives, this report suggests that military beneficiaries might prefer civilian health plans, as long as there is no erosion of benefits in making such a shift.
Jan 1, 1995
Report
Examining the Effects of Accreditation on Military Child Development Center Operations and Outcomes
Explores the implementation of one provision of the Military Child Care Act of 1989.
Dec 31, 1993
Report
Soldiers' Families: Tracking Their Well-Being During Peacetime and War
Presents a proposal for how to query a representative sample of Army families and obtain timely information on topics that change quickly.
Sep 9, 1992
Report
Improving the Delivery of Military Child Care: An Analysis of Current Operations and New Approaches
This study was undertaken to identify ways to improve the delivery of Child Development Services on military installations.
Jan 1, 1992
Report
Elements of Change in Military Medical Force Structure: A White Paper
The Department of Defense (DOD) maintains a substantial health care delivery capability for two reasons — a medical capability supports readiness and provides service members, including retirees and their families, an important compensation benefit
Jan 1, 1992
Report
Section 6 Schools in Six States: Eleven Case Studies of Transfer Issues
This Note contains case studies that analyze the issues surrounding possible transfer of 11 Section 6 school systems, funded and operated by the Department of Defense on U.S. military bases, to state and local responsibility.
Jan 1, 1991
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Anita Chandra
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Jennifer Hawes-Dawson
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Stephanie Brooks Holliday

RAND Topic:
Military Families

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

James V. Marrone

Economist

Jim Marrone (he/him) is an economist at RAND Corporation. He is primarily a methodologist, using a variety of statistical methods to conduct causal inference for national security research. Major topical focuses are: military families and young servicemembers; counter-extremism and…

Teague Ruder

Senior Research Programmer

Teague Ruder is a senior research programmer at RAND who works extensively with survey and administrative data on a diverse set of projects focused on Military Health, Medicare, and Medicaid. Recent project include examining the impact of Medicaid reforms in New York State, describing patterns…

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