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Family Council Makes an Impact on the Canadian Forces Leadership
Bringing the voice of military families from the kitchen table to the boardroom table, the newly-established National Military Family Council (NMFC) held its inaugural meeting with the Armed Forces Council on 7 December 2009.
Their meeting was unprecedented. It marked the first time the most senior military personnel have turned to a selected council of CF spouses and parents to discuss the highs and lows of CF family life, and to seek advice on how to help families not just cope, but thrive. Several members of the Armed Forces Council also invited their own spouses to participate in the meeting and add their unique experiences and perspectives to the conversation.
“This is, for me, a very important meeting,” stressed General Walt Natynczyk, Chief of Defence Staff and chair of the Armed Forces Council.
“The CF Family Covenant we signed a year ago was a promise – a promise that families are important. We know the care available to our families isn’t perfect, but our mission is to make it better. That’s going to be the role of the NMFC: helping us find ways to make it better.”
General Natynczyk opened the floor for the eight members of the NMFC to introduce themselves, describe their professional backgrounds, and share their varied experiences as the spouses and parents of CF personnel from all three elements. They frankly and articulately shared the challenges that often accompany postings, deployments, irregular work schedules and challenges with communication while personnel are away.
The NMFC also took the opportunity to bring several pressing CF family issues to the Armed Forces Council’s attention. They highlighted the need for better access to child care, health care, employment opportunities for spouses, rural outreach to parents, and judgement-free access to social support.
They also shared the unique joys of military family life, from travel opportunities to instilling a sense of patriotism in their children and themselves. “I am very proud to be part of a military family,” said NMFC member Kim Hollihan. “I’m here to explore solutions for the challenges military families face, but also to promote the positives of the military lifestyle.”
After the NMFC members spoke, General Natynczyk led a round-table discussion which included the members of the Armed Forces Council and their spouses. Building on the resilience of military families and providing more support to families transitioning to new postings were among the goals consistently echoed as the scheduled one hour meeting stretched into over two hours of conversation.
“We need to determine what is going well right now for our families, and how we can build upon our successes,” said CF Chief Warrant Officer Greg Lacroix. “I am very impressed with what we’ve heard today, and I am encouraged to see where the NMFC will take us.”
After their successful first meeting with the Armed Forces Council, the NMFC will now begin the hard part of their duties: studying the services already in place for military families, and advising on what future policy enhancements would prove most helpful for families.
“The good news is, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel – there are good people already out there delivering great programs,” said Hilary Oakman, NMFC Chair. “It’s very clear to me that the CF is thinking ahead, and considering the family perspective as a top priority.”
