Benefit Fact Sheet
The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is a mandatory enrollment program that works with other military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical, and personnel services to Families with special needs. Airmen and Guardians on active duty enroll in the program when they have a Family member with a physical, emotional, developmental, or intellectual disorder requiring specialized services; so medical and educational needs can be considered in the military personnel assignment process. The overall goal of EFMP is to help Families accompany the Service member to the right duty locations, not to exclude them.
EFMP has made enhancements to improve the Family experience through greater understanding of the role of each component within EFMP while expanding EFMP Family Support resources to include:
- EFMP & Me Tool: A new online tool to provide Families direct access to information and resources in each of the three components
- Offers 24/7 access, at home or on the go, through a digital application
- Provides Family members with a tailored, streamlined and supportive digital experience to locate guidance and information when and where needed
- Gives service providers and military leaders an additional information source to use and to recommend to Families.
- Improved Communication with Families: EFMP Family Support focuses on sharing information with Families to better support them and help them improve their self-advocacy skills.
- EFMP Family Support Feedback Tool: Provides a mechanism for families to give feedback about their recent experience with installation EFMP Family Support
- New brand and improved messaging: Communicates clearly and effectively that EFMP is evolving to better meet the needs of service providers and Families. Service providers and leaders can get out the message to Families with the helpful tools and resources in the EFMP brand toolkit
- EFMP/SPECIAL NEEDS provides additional tools and information for service providers and leaders who support military Families with special needs.
For more information on the recent enhancements, please visit: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/special-needs/efmp/new-efmp-tools-and-resources/
Active Air Force and Space Force Service members with exceptional Family members (children and adults) are required to enroll in the EFMP.
The EFMP, working in concert with other military and civilian agencies, is designed to provide a comprehensive, coordinated, multi-agency approach for community support, housing, medical, educational and personnel services to Families with special needs.
EFMP Objectives:
- To provide certain medically related services to Children with disabilities per the Department of Defense Instruction 1315.19 with the same priority as medical care to the active duty Service members
- To assess, document, and code the special education and medical needs of eligible Family members in all locations and forward these coded needs to the military personnel agencies for consideration during the assignment process
- To consider the medical needs of the Exceptional Family Member during the continental United States (CONUS) assignment process
- To consider the special education needs of the Exceptional Family Member during the OCONUS (outside the continental United States) assignment process (excludes Alaska and Hawaii)
- To assign Service members to an area where the Exceptional Family Member's medical and special education needs can be accommodated, provided there is a valid personnel requirement for the Airman's grade and specialty
- To provide a mechanism for DAF Civilians to coordinate with the Civilian Personnel Office to request the required educational screening from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) of dependents with and IEP eligible for enrollment in a DODEA school on a space required basis. Service availability and DoDEA recommendation will only serve to help civilians make an informed decision about the new position and not deny travel
- To ensure that all eligible Family members receive the information and assistance needed to involve them with community support services that meet their needs
- To ensure facility and program accessibility to individuals with disabilities
- To provide Early Intervention Services (EIS) to eligible infants and toddlers and their Families.
EFMP Enrollment:
Enrollment is mandatory and can be initiated by the Special Needs Coordinator. Dependents enrolled in the EFMP are enrolled permanently in the program unless medical or special education needs warrant case closure or the Service member is separated from the military. Airmen and Guardians are responsible for keeping documentation current as the Exceptional Family Member’s condition changes, or at least every three years for medical; and every year for educational (dependents with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will receive an updated IEP every year, and a complete educational evaluation every three years).
Completion of DD Form 2792 (Family Member Medical Summary) and/or DD Form 2792-1 (Special Education/Early Intervention Summary) and AF Form 2523 (Exceptional Family Member Program Medical Information Form) will constitute enrollment in the EFMP for TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) enrollment purposes.
If the Family member’s condition(s) meet enrollment criteria, an assignment limitation code (“Q”) is entered in the active duty sponsor’s electronic personnel record. The sponsor is then known as “Q-coded,” and medical and educational authorities can now consider special needs when sponsors are projected for assignments.
Airmen and Guardians who are members of the Air Force Join Spouse Program will both enroll in the EFMP when they have a Family member that qualifies.
If a Service member has a dependent enrolled in EFMP, they will need to complete the myVector Initial Travel Screening Questionnaire and Family Member Travel Screening Application, and AF Form 1466D (Dental Health Summary; for overseas assignments only) upon notification of any reassignment in which Family members will accompany the member. This screening will assist in identifying treatment facilities at the Service member's new duty station and ensure proper access and continuum of care for the exceptional Family member.
The DoD provides the EFMP & Me Tool to Service members and their Families. The tool is available 24/7 and provides direct access to the latest information and resources. Categories of needs and interests include:
- EFMP and Enrollment
- Child Care
- Education
- Medical
- Deployment
- Accessibility and Housing
- PCS
- Family and Community Life
- Separation and Retirement, and
- Long-Term Financial Planning
Users can create and account and save their progress and checklists, download a PDF, or use without creating an account. For more information contact EFMP & Me at 1-800-342-9647.
Education Directory for Children with Special Needs:
The Education Directory for Children with Special Needs provides military Families with Children with special needs the information they need to make informed assignment decisions and easier transitions.
The directory consists of two components:
- The Early Intervention Directory focusing on early intervention services for Children birth through 3 years old
- The School-Age Directory focusing on education services for Children with special needs, 3 through 21 years old.
Both provide tools and resources to help with the transition to a new location. The Early Intervention Directory summarizes national and state level early intervention trends and includes descriptions of local early intervention service providers. The School-Age Directory summarizes national and state level trends for special education and includes descriptions of individual school districts. Military One Source also offers a quarterly Exceptional Advocate eNewsletter a link to sign up along with archive of past editions are available on their website.
DirectSTEP® eCourse Program:
EFMP has partnered with LRP Publications to bring DirectSTEP® eCourses at NO CHARGE to Service members, Families, EFMP staff and special education staff associated with military children. It is designed to be a resource which explains legal requirements and situations, best practices for behavior management, autism, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) eligibility, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and more. DirectSTEP® courses teach staff, parents, and educators how to handle critical education issues to obtain positive outcomes. A complete list of DirectSTEP® classes can be found here.
Respite Care Program:
The Respite Care Program is a component of EFMP that provides a temporary rest period for Family members responsible for regular care of persons with disabilities. Care may be provided in the EFMP respite care user's home and other settings such as special needs camps and enrichment programs. Respite care is important because it decreases Family stress, increases Family stability, and reduces costly out-of-home placements, thereby contributing to Airmen and Guardian readiness.
Military One Source Exceptional Family Member Program Overview:
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/special-needs/exceptional-family-member
DoD EFMP Quick reference Guide:
https://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/ResourceGuides/EFMP-Family-Support-Reference-Guide.pdf
DoD Regulation 1315.19: Exceptional Family Member Program:
https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/131519.pdf?ver=OfpA9-w3TokcS-NiFZR9Aw%3D%3D
DoD Regulation 1342.12: Provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DOD Dependents:
https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/134212p.pdf
Exceptional Family Member Program Coverage overview - Tricare:
https://www.tricare.mil/CoveredServices/SpecialNeeds/SNResources
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/special-needs/exceptional-family-member/making-the-most-of-efmp-family-support-services-with-the-efmp-family-needs-assessment/
Air Force Exceptional Family Member Program Benefits and Entitlements:
https://www.afpc.af.mil/Airman-and-Family/Exceptional-Family-Member-Program/
Air Force Instruction 40-701: Medical Support to Family Member Relocation and Exceptional Family Member Program:
https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_sg/publication/afi40-701/afi40-701.pdf
For the location of the Exceptional Family Member Program office on local Air Force Installations, check the Military Resource Locator library on MyAirForceBenefits:
https://www.myairforcebenefits.us.af.mil/Benefit-Library/Resource-Locator
Air Force Medical Service EFMP:
https://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/EFMP/
Tricare Resources for Families with Special Needs:
https://www.tricare.mil/CoveredServices/SpecialNeeds/SNResources
Department of the Air Force Exceptional Family Member Program Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/AirForceEFMP/