News

April is the Month of the Military Child. To most people, it’s just another month celebrating something they are vaguely aware of, chalking it up to the same importance or unimportance as every other month. Who really remembers Blood Donor Awareness Month (January), Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month (November), or any causes brought to light each month? April and the Month of the Military Child are no different unless you’re like me and are acutely aware of the military chi

This report from Partners in PROMISE investigates the unique challenges of military-connected children with disabilities. The report "The State of Military-Connected Children with Disabilities" talks about the special problems military families face when their kids need extra help in school because of disabilities in 2025. It looks closely at important topics like how the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) can be made better. It also discusses how difficult it can be to

Dear Friends and Supporters, It’s hard to believe we are close to ending another incredible year of growth and impact with Partners in PROMISE. Where did the time go? Many of you have been with us from the very beginning when we were only a team of four military and veteran spouses, passionate about supporting our military families with special needs. The early hard work has paid off. Our team has grown to 10 members with a reach of over 3,200 followers while offering a robu

Partners in PROMISE released its findings on March 15, 2023, alongside panelists from Joining Forces, the Department of Defense’s Office of Special Needs, the Department of Education and civilian researchers from The Ohio State University and leaders from the disability community, like the Learning Disability Association of America. Watch the recording and see the Q&A.

Partners in PROMISE volunteer Mary Monrose shares what she has learned about the 2023 NDAA: As a military spouse, when I first learned of the NDAA, I thought it was a law that only impacted my active duty spouse. There was talk about pay raises, changes to retirement packages and other benefits like whether or not the Commissaries would remain in operation. But what I didn’t realize is that we, as military spouses, can play a vital role in this process. We can engage our Co

Some nonprofits call out leaders on Twitter. Some have a handle on hashtags. While others are breaking into TikTok. At Partners in PROMISE we are a fan of all of the above, but we also know the importance of individuals telling their own stories. We are here to elevate the voices of military families so you can tell your story. So when Meredith Flory reached out to us after her Tweet went viral we listened to her and worked with her to help her tell her own story, her way. W

Military children with special education needs are facing significant delays in getting services they need, according to a new report based on a parent survey. Written By Karen Jowers via MilitaryTImes The delays are systemic and parents are resigned to expecting those delays — findings which are no surprise to special needs families in general, said Jennifer Barnhill, chief operating officer and lead researcher for Partners in Promise, a nonprofit focused on protecting the

Survey Says Families Aren't Using EFMP Because They Don't Know How Army Community Service’s Exceptional Family Member Program hosts a “Make and Take IEP Binder Workshop” for parents at U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden. (DVIDS/Lisa Bishop) 2 Feb 2021Military.com | By Rebecca Alwine A Pentagon-wide program designed to help military families with special needs receive services has one overarching problem, according to the results of a new survey: People don't know enough about it. I

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) has some new congressional advocates! The Senate Armed Service Committee Military Personnel Subcommittee hosted an EFMP Roundtable to hear directly from military families about their experiences with this beleaguered program and how they can help fix it.

Partners in PROMISE is officially a 501(c)3 organization! We applied in late 2020 after seeing the response from our special education families, and military and political leaders. There was a service gap and for the past year our organization has been trying to fill it.

2021 is the 35th Month of the Military Child, Partners in PROMISE strives to better understand this group of EXCEPTIONAL children and how we can celebrate them!

Dr. Jill Biden, left, & Michelle Norman, Partners in PROMISE Co-Founder & Executive Director during a previous event in Virginia military listening panel. “The quality of education directly impacts military readiness. I see this invitation to speak with the first lady as an opportunity to show that military family representation is vital.” Michelle Norman, Partners in PROMISE Co-Founder & Executive Director On Wednesday Feb. 17, I was invited to meet with the first lady of th

Navy hires special education attorneys as part of pilot program for families

A donation to Partners in PROMISE this #givingtuesday will help ensure military children receive the appropriate and equitable education to which they are entitled.

The 2019 Congressional Military Family Caucus changed the way that Congress looked at special education students and the EFMP. It led to the foundation of Partners in PROMISE and encouraging legislation that has been proposed in the 2021 NDAA. So this year, Michelle Norman, Executive Director of Partners in PROMISE, was asked to take the lead role in the formation of discussion panels. The focus of this year’s panels is on elevating the military spouse voice and their perspec

Executive Director, Michelle Norman joined MJ Boice and Megan Harless of Resource Partner PCSGrades, and author Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman in a webinar on September 16th. The conversation included what our families are experiencing now that the school year has started, how they can make the most of their current circumstances and prepare for the future. If you missed the conversation on Facebook Live be sure to check it out!

Partners in PROMISE reacts to the contents of the 2021 NDAA as it relates to military special education protections & EFMP standardization.

Partners in Promise offers support to EFMP families ahead of uncertain school year by Jennifer Barnhill July 30, 2020 via Military Families Magazine! Michelle Norman, founder of Partners in Promise, testifies before Congress. Over the past year, Michelle Norman, the 2019 AFI Navy Spouse of the Year, tirelessly advocated for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) and special needs families. She accomplished this with a husband deployed, while raising two children — one of wh

There's already a reported achievement gap for K-12 students with disabilities, and the coronavirus pandemic may be widening it.

Virginia has a large military and veteran population and this fact is not lost on Congress. Senator Mark Warner and Representative Elaine Luria met with military families and Virginia leadership on a Military Family and Veteran Town Hall on Wednesday, July 15th. Executive Director, Michelle Norman represented our EFMP families, asking Senator Warner about ways in which we can help prevent learning gaps for special needs students. Increasing funding for IDEA was mentioned. "We