Child and Youth Program

The Indiana National Guard Child and Youth Program provides enrichment activities for the children of Guardsmen ages 6-17. Our mission is to support children, youth and families of the Indiana National Guard during times of deployment, extended separation and normal day-to-day operations.

Our annual programs and partnerships benefit military kids by increasing opportunities for personal growth and leadership and providing education and citizenship training for children and youth. We aim to increase opportunities that foster personal growth, education, citizenship and leadership for military kids. We advocate for and raise awareness of military-connected youth within state programs and partnering agencies, and activate statewide networks that can better serve geographically dispersed military populations.

Program participants and their parents overwhelmingly report positive outcomes from events that allow military youth to interact. For example, a participant at Kids AT said, “This camp lets me talk to other kids that know how it is when my dad leaves.” One parent commented that the programs have “brought my children into a world where there are other kids with military parents, which is something they don’t see in their daily lives.”

The Child and Youth Program depends on volunteers to serve as chaperones, camp counselors and program assistants to create unforgettable experiences for kids.