Unaccompanied Tours and Children

Support for Families with Children

• Medals and Certificates of Recognition – To recognize the sacrifice that children make while their parent is serving a high-risk unaccompanied tour, the Department of State’s Global Community Liaison Office distributes Medals and Certificates of Recognition to children ages 0-21.
  As of June 26, 2023, the eligibility criteria for this program have expanded to include:
  • All direct hire employees under Chief of Mission authority serving for six months or longer on Permanent Change of Station or TDY assignments at posts officially designated unaccompanied or limited accompanied. 
  • All direct hire employees under Chief of Mission authority who have served for six months or longer at posts under Ordered Departure Status. Note: The expansion of the criteria cannot be applied retroactively. Employees who served for longer than six months at posts where Ordered Departure status terminated prior to June 26, 2023, are not eligible to participate.

  GCLO invites eligible Foreign Service, Civil Service, and LE Staff employees to submit nominations. To learn more about eligibility for this program and request a nomination form, email GCLOAskUT@state.gov.

• Children’s Workbooks – GCLO has developed individualized, age-appropriate workbooks available for children who have a parent preparing for or serving on an Unaccompanied Tour. State Department Foreign Service (FS) and Civil Service (CS) employees on limited non-career appointments (LNAs) to the Foreign Service and other federal employees who will be under Chief of Mission authority, to include Department of Defense, assigned or detailed for 12 months or longer to one of the unaccompanied or partially unaccompanied or limited accompanied posts who have children under the age of 18 may receive handbooks for their children.  To order a pre-printed workbook, email GCLOAskUT@state.gov.
• GCLO’s Education and Youth Team – When one parent is apart from the family for an extended period of time, children may need special attention. The Global Community Liaison Office Education and Youth team has resources and information covering a wide range of transition and education topics pertaining to Foreign Service youth. For more information and questions, the Education and Youth Team can be reached at GCLOAskEducation@state.gov.

• Bouncing Back: Transition and Re-entry Planning for the Parents of Foreign Service Youth
• Choosing a Safe Haven – Considerations for parents regarding what location choose as a safe haven location.

Additional Children’s Resources

• Sesame Street for Military Families – Resources for families, including strategies for coping with separations.

• The Foreign Service Youth Foundation – A nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to the support of children of employees of the US foreign affairs agencies.
• Zero to Three – Helpful resources and practical tools that strengthen families and improve the lives of infants and toddlers.

Disclaimer

Listings of private entities on this page are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department State or the U.S. government of the entity, its views or the products or services it provides. The order in which names appear has no significance, and the links may be removed at any time at the discretion of the Department.