Family Advocacy Program

The Family Advocacy Program, or FAP, is the War Department program designated to address domestic and intimate partner abuse, child abuse and neglect, and problematic sexual behavior in children and youth. FAP works on every military installation where families are assigned, and supports service members, their spouses, partners and families to prevent abuse, promote victim safety and offer treatment and rehabilitation for healing after a traumatic event has occurred.

FAP directly provides or coordinates a range of services for individuals and families impacted by violence, abuse and neglect. Program services may vary by installation. FAP services are designed to:

• Identify and build on individual and family strengths, through services such as parenting support for every age and stage, including New Parent Support visits for expecting and new parents
• Increase protective factors that have been found to reduce risk, through community-based public awareness campaigns, education and support for military members, intimate partners, spouses and parents
• Promote the safety and well-being of service members and their families, through safety planning, advocacy and crisis support for victims of domestic/intimate partner abuse, and clinical treatments for victims, abusers, and all affected family members, as appropriate

Family Advocacy Program prevention, education and outreach services vary by installation and may be offered in coordination with military or civilian partners. Contact your installation Family Advocacy Program or Military and Family Support Center for local listings. Services may include the following:

• Life skills education and training on topics including healthy ways to manage stress and relationship conflict
• Seminars on healthy relationships, communication and conflict resolution
• Parenting support, including the New Parent Support Program, playgroups, and online learning opportunities such as Thrive, to help parents build skills in raising children at every age and stage
• Counseling or referrals to services tailored to meet specific service member, spouse, or partner needs and schedules

If you have concerns about a child's welfare or safety, whether at home or in the care of a War Department child or youth program, contact the following for assistance:

• Your local Family Advocacy Program.
• Your local child welfare agency, your state's child abuse reporting line or the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 800-4-A-Child (422-4453). A comprehensive list of child welfare agencies for each state can be found at ChildWelfare.gov.
• For concerns about child abuse and/or neglect in a War Department child or youth program or school, call your installation Family Advocacy Program or the Department of War Child Abuse and Safety Violation Hotline at 800-790-1197 in the United States, or 571-372-5348 overseas. Please note: The DOW Child Abuse and Safety Violation Hotline is for reporting purposes only, and is not a crisis line for help in an emergency.
• If you have concerns a child is being exploited online, call the FBI Cyber Tip Line, operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, at 800-843-5678.

Call 911 or military law enforcement if you witness abuse or neglect or suspect a child is in imminent danger.

If you or someone you care about is seeking support for domestic abuse, confidential assistance is available. See the options below for information, support and services:

• Domestic abuse victim advocates are available 24/7 through your installation Family Advocacy Program.
• You can also call Military OneSource at 800-342-9647 to be connected to your closest Family Advocacy Program.
• For support outside of the military, you can connect with a victim advocate through the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 by calling 800-799-7233 or visiting thehotline.org for chat services. En Español: https://espanol.thehotline.org/

Call 911 or military law enforcement if you witness domestic abuse, or you or someone you know is in immediate danger.

Domestic abuse victims may choose to make a restricted report which provides access to the full range of FAP services, including counseling provided by credentialed FAP clinicians, and support from a victim advocate to develop a safety plan. With a restricted report, military law enforcement and command will not be notified. Only three groups of professionals have been granted the authority to keep information about domestic abuse confidential under the restricted reporting option:

• Family Advocacy Program victim advocates
• FAP clinicians
• Healthcare providers (Note: There are some state-specific laws that may require healthcare providers to report known or suspected incidents of domestic abuse to law enforcement regardless of victim’s wishes. Check with your local FAP program for additional information.)

While victims are also entitled to the protections of privileged communication with a chaplain, disclosing domestic abuse to the chaplain is not a report and will not connect victims to FAP services. In the event a victim seeking a restricted report is in imminent risk of harm, or someone else is at risk, an unrestricted report must be made so that law enforcement can respond.

For more information see the Military OneSource article Domestic Abuse: Military Reporting Options.

If a victim chooses to make an unrestricted report of domestic abuse, both command and law enforcement are notified. Victims have access to support and protection from command, such as a No Contact Order or a Military Protection Order. Victims have access to the full range of services, including medical care, counseling, victim advocacy and safety planning. With an unrestricted report, victims may also seek legal services through the military, and work with a victim advocate to apply for transitional compensation, if applicable.

For more information see the Military OneSource article Domestic Abuse: Military Reporting Options.

Family Advocacy Program services are available to service members and family members eligible for care in a military treatment facility. This includes intimate partners who share a child in common with a service member, live with or previously lived with a service member. Dating partners and others may qualify for limited support and referrals as appropriate. Contact your installation Family Advocacy Program for details.