Family Assistance Center

If you are mobilized and on active duty for 30 days or more, you may get help from a Family Assistance Center (FAC) which the National Guard sets up at various locations during mobilizations. The FAC is your point of contact for help. A phone call to the FAC’s trained staff and volunteers will either help resolve your issue or direct you to the appropriate agency that can help with your specific need. Your local point of contact for FAC support is usually your Recruiting and Retention NCO. Your FAC will help you with issues such as:

• Financial Management Assistance.
• ID cards and DEERS enrollment.
• Medical Care.
• Legal Assistance.
• Social Services.
• Family Support Group.

Family Care Plan (FCP)

Every Army National Guard member has a responsibility to prepare for mobilization and separation from his or her family. Creating a FCP is a big help in this regard. It will assist Guard members in anticipating and providing for the family’s needs during separation.

If you are a single parent or dual-military couple, you are required to prepare a FCP. You may need to designate a temporary guardian if your long-term guardian lives far away. A FCP contains all the information needed during your absence (including special instructions that you have not given elsewhere), and legal authorization for guardians, along with names, addresses, and vital phone numbers.

Your Family Care Plan should include:

• Immunization records.
• Current medical and dental records.
• Information about medications, including any drug allergies.
• Names and addresses of all health care providers, such as primary physicians, specialists, dentists, eye doctors, etc.
• Be sure that your family is enrolled in DEERS, which stands for Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System, an automated system, which lists everyone who is eligible for military benefits.
  If your family is enrolled in DEERS and you are away, they will have access to military benefits.