Today, nearly half of our active-duty military members are parents, and their absence from home is always deeply felt by their families. When a service member returns from deployment, it may seem like the hardest part is over. However, a new Child Trends study shows that after the deep emotional toll deployment takes on a family, the reunion of a deployed parent can be accompanied with a brand new set of risks and challenges – especially for young children.

In this short Child Trends Special Report video, President Carol Emig and Senior Researcher David Murphey highlight the important findings of a new Child Trends study, Home Front Alert: The Risks Facing Young Children in Military Families, and discuss a number of ways to address the needs of these young children.