TRICARE Offers Help for Military Kids Published April 17, 2014 By TRICARE Staff FALLS CHURCH, Va., -- Each April, the military community pauses to focus on its youngest members, those who don't deploy or travel to war, but are affected by those events just the same - the military child. Military children are unique in that they face frequent moves and parental deployments, in addition to the typical childhood stressors of learning, maturing and building relationships. Even children without a deployed parent can be affected by the stress of a classmate or friend who is experiencing that loss. The National Institutes of Health reports that parental combat deployment increases anxiety in children that remains even after the deployed parent returns home. By collecting this type of data, screening, prevention and intervention strategies can be developed to assist military children. TRICARE covers medically or psychologically necessary mental/behavioral health care, including counseling for children. TRICARE covers well-child care from birth to age six. Each well-child visit is a chance for the doctor to look for developmental delays or problems and for you to talk about any concerns you have. For more information about TRICARE's behavioral health benefit, visit our mental health web page. For information about TRICARE's well-child care, visit our well-child web page. For adults, there are many awards for special or distinguished service. This month, let's recognize our military children; let's focus on their health, concentrate on their well-being and celebrate their strength.