1. Family Life

Fostering & Adoption

Adoption

The MOD recognises that there are Service personnel and their families who are both willing and well suited to adopting a child or children and that there are many children who are waiting to be adopted. Adoption can be a long process, and military life may impact on this process.

Fostering

Fostering can be either a long- or short-term arrangement and there are several types of foster care. If you are considering fostering, it may be helpful to know that Service personnel fostering children are eligible for Service Family Accommodation (SFA) if additional space is needed (Approval letters from local authorities are required).

What support is available to me?

More information on Adoption and Fostering in the Armed Forces can be found in DIN 2024DIN01-120 along with new guidance created by the MOD and Government to support service families through this journey. Adoption and fostering support for Service Personnel – GOV.UK

Other agencies to contact for more information

• Adoption UK Charity
• National Fostering Group, Our Children
• Becoming a foster parent in England: Who can foster – GOV.UK
• Child adoption: Overview – GOV.UK

2. Resources

Book Resources

Separation and deployment are part and parcel of Royal Navy and Royal Marines Service life. We have put together a book list with a wide range of topics suitable for all ages to help you through the challenges this lifestyle may bring. 

NHS Podcast

A brand new series, the NHS Armed Forces Health Podcast, is now available for streaming. 

This podcast series has been commissioned by the NHS England Armed Forces Patient and Public Voice (AFPPV) Group in order to be used as a resource for the Armed Forces community to support them in understanding and navigating the NHS and to raise awareness of how to become empowered advocates for their own health as a patient or family member of one.

The full series is now live, as follows: 

• Episode 1: What is the AFPPV? With Kate Davies, Nicky Murdoch & Tom Fox 
• Episode 2: Military Medical Experience & Leaving With Dr Johnathan Leach, Paul Findlay & Kate King 
• Episode 3: Your GP With Dr Johnathan Leach, Kat Dalby-Welsh & Paul Findlay 
• Episode 4: Physical Health With Shehan Hettiarachy, Gregg Stevenson & Teresa Griffiths 
• Episode 5: Mental Health With Dr Dan Barnard, Tom Fox & Jo Jukes 
• Episode 6: Family/Children With Andrea Collins, Jenny Ward & Jess Stirling-Yeatman 

You can hear from our health and wellbeing lead in the final episode to discuss the challenges faced by Armed Forces families.  

Please do share the series with your GP and other healthcare providers to help them better understand the work that is being done to support you. 

Welcome guides for Service families moving across the UK

Did you know that there are information guides available if you are moving around the UK or returning from an overseas posting? 

These booklets were designed to provide information you may need to help you and your family settle into a new location. They cover aspects such as housing, education, healthcare, employment, benefits and social care and other useful information, as well as a list of supporting organisations. 

If you are considering moving, or are due to move for an upcoming assignment order, please do read the guides, which can help to ease your mind. 

• Armed Forces Covenant: Welcome to England
• Welcome to Wales: Supporting and investing in our Armed Forces Community in Wales
• Welcome to Scotland: A guide for Service personnel and their families moving to Scotland

*Northern Ireland: currently in production*

3. Supporting organisations/initiatives

Strengthening Families – By your side

‘Strengthening Families – By Your Side’, an offer of support for all Royal Navy and Royal Marines families, was officially launched on 1st September 2020. Developed by the NFF and the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC), the project aims to provide RN/RM families the right support, at the right time. Please note, this programme officially extended its eligibility to serving RFA families as of April 2022. 

In 2025 the Strengthening Families booklet was released, you can view the booklet here.

Military Wives Choirs

The Military Wives Choirs is a charity that brings all women in the military community closer together and empowers them through singing. The emphasis is on all women: the choirs contain wives of serving personnel, but also those currently serving, veterans, mothers, sisters and daughters, and others with a military connection.

NHS England Armed Forces Patient & Public Voice Group

NHS England has a statutory duty to engage with patients as they plan and deliver their services and one of the ways that they do this is through Patient and Public Voice Groups (PPV). Did you also know that the Armed Forces community has it’s own PPV Group, which was established to ensure that the unique needs of serving personnel, veterans and their families are considered too, or that the Naval Families Federation is part of this Group?

The first NHS AF PPV Impact Report has now been published and you can read more about how the NFF uses anonymised evidence and feedback shared with us by families to influence health policies that can impact upon our whole community.

4. Carers in the Armed Forces

RBL Research – Unpaid Carers In The Armed Forces

he aim of this 2021 report is for carers in the Armed Forces community to feel valued and receive support that is tailored to their needs, thereby improving their quality of life and that of those they care for. 

Armed Forces Carer’s Passports

New: Armed Forces carer’s passports introduced

Carer’s passports are well established and widely used across many organisations throughout the UK, including the Civil Service, and have proven to be an invaluable resource for employees with caregiving responsibilities. They are now available for our Armed Forces.

It can be especially hard to balance a career in the Armed Forces alongside caring responsibilities, but the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is dedicated to support those who do.

Introducing the Armed Forces carer’s passport

In November 2024, the MOD has launched the Armed Forces Carer’s Passport, a practical and effective tool to help carers in managing their responsibilities. The passport ensures that when carers move between roles or experience a change in manager, they do not have to renegotiate the necessary arrangements from scratch. By documenting required flexibilities, the passport provides continuity and support, reducing unnecessary disruptions for both the carer and the MOD.

The passport acknowledges that operational needs will always remain the priority. However, it ensures that the carer’s circumstances are formally considered, fostering an environment where personnel feel empowered to discuss their care-giving challenges, how these might impact their work responsibilities and feel supported in their dual roles by promoting openness and mutual understanding.

This whole-force approach ensures that both military and civilian carers receive the same level of support, reflecting the MOD’s commitment to enhance the wellbeing of its personnel and their families. The introduction of the passports will improve consistency in the way care-giving responsibilities are supported, ensuring that all carers are treated fairly and equitably, regardless of where they are serving or who their manager is.

If you are an Armed Forces carer, please speak to your manager about the Armed Forces Carer’s Passport and explore how it can support you.

For more information on this and other support available visit GOV.UK, which includes reference to the Armed Forces Carers Passport Guidance and Implementation DIN 2024DIN01-126 and Armed Forces Families – Health and Wellbeing Hub.

Information for families will also be added to Discover My Benefits in 2025.

Support Available

Young Carers In The Armed Forces

A young carer is somebody under the age of 19 who looks after a family member with long term illness or disabilities, often missing out on school or free time.  

If you or a family member is a Young Carer, the following support is available:

• Young Carers Support can be found here
• The Nexus Project | The Children’s Society (childrenssociety.org.uk)

5. Bereavement support

Practical Support

Dealing with a bereavement can be a difficult time for everyone. Remember that you are not alone and there are a number of support organisations who can help you deal with both the emotional and practical aspects of losing someone.

These are just some of the agencies who can offer practical and financial support to you.

Emotional Support

Dealing with a bereavement can be a difficult time for everyone. Remember that you are not alone and there are a number of support organisations who can help you deal with both the emotional and practical aspects of losing someone.

These are just some of the agencies who can offer emotional support to you.

6. Specialist support

Support for care leavers and estranged adults

Care Leavers

Young people who have been in care at any point in their childhood are more likely to face additional challenges in securing suitable employment and establishing an independent life for themselves than their peers. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has signed the Care Leaver Covenant, which commits it to a number of actions, including developing protocols for young people joining the Armed Forces. 

The MOD have published a guidance for carer leavers serving in the Armed Forces. You can also find out more about support for Care Leavers from the Care Leavers’ Association. 

Estranged Adults

Not all adults have a close or supportive family support network. Family estrangement can involve stigma and social isolation. This may be especially keenly felt when combined with some of the challenges faced by Armed Forces people and their loved ones. You can find out more about family estrangement, and get support, from Stand Alone. 

Stalking And Harassment

Stalking is defined as repeated and unwanted behaviour that causes the victim alarm and distress. It is often thought of as a crime only against women, but 1 in 6 women and 1 in 12 men will be subject to stalking at some point in their lives. 

Perhaps surprisingly though, 77% of stalking victims experience 100 incidents before they make a report to the police. It may take a while before a victim realises that the behaviour they are experiencing is stalking. It may seem just annoying at first and then gradually become creepier and more frightening. Some stalking may escalate fast. 

Most stalking now includes a digital or technology-based aspect. In ‘cyberstalking’, the perpetrator will use technology, but not stalk the person in the offline world. In ‘digitally assisted stalking’, the perpetrator will use technology (such as mobile phones, geolocation tracking, social media and spyware) to find information and to assist them with ‘in person’ activities. All forms of stalking may cause psychological damage, as well as other harm. 

We have no reason to believe that stalking of any kind is more common in the Armed Forces community than in the rest of the population. The purpose of this article is not to cause alarm or worry, but to raise awareness of ways we can protect ourselves and look out for friends and neighbours. 

Improve your digital safety

• Use secure passwords and update them. Yes – we’ve heard that many times before. With all the websites that you probably have accounts for, there’s no way to easily remember lots of different passwords. This is where a password manager can help – as long as you create a strong master password that you can remember. These are available free online and as mobile apps – for example Dashlane and Keepass;
• Regularly Google yourself. Know what your ‘digital footprint’ looks like and what information about you is in the public domain;
• Review your social media privacy settings;
• Think before you ‘check in’ somewhere on social media;
• Check your mobile phone settings. Reduce the time before your screen locks and needs a PIN. Use a PIN that is not a birthday or other known number. Review and considering turning off location services, GPS or geotagging. Ensure that apps such as Google Maps are not sharing your location with anyone you don’t trust;
• Be careful about sharing personal information online. Think before updating: your relationship status; your place of work; where you are going, etc. Visit the Royal Navy website for advice on staying safe in social media;
• Use caution when using dating apps like Tinder. Check out the dating safety section of the website before you meet. Don’t give out your e-mail address or mobile number – set up an e-mail for first contact or get an extra mobile number and keep your main number private. Meet in a public place and make sure you let a friend know where you are and timings so that they can check in with you.

If you have reason to think that you are being stalked:

Report it and reach out to others – report to the police and make sure that other people know what you are experiencing (workplace, children’s school, trusted friends and family). Royal Navy Family & People Support (RN FPS) (contact details here) can provide support. 

Remember you are not alone

1. Get good practical advice – Contact the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and/or Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service. These organisations can give you specific information about what to do next and steps you can take to stay safe. 
2. Keep evidence – Keep all e-mails, messages, gifts and contacts. If you are followed by car, go to an area with CCTV and call 999 if you are in immediate danger.
3. Keep a diary –  Log everything – dates, times and details.
4. Trust your instincts and never make contact with the stalker. Anyone who is a victim of stalking, or is worried about someone’s behaviour towards them, can get free, confidential, expert advice and support from.

7. Dental Health for Service Families

Introduction

We receive regular enquiries from Service families living across the UK who are facing difficulties accessing NHS dental services. We continue to gather evidence about the current situation and present this to NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care and the MOD Armed Forces Covenant teams, to help inform future policy decisions and raise awareness of the additional challenges that our Armed Forces families face.

If you find that you are encountering problems gaining access to an NHS dentist, or continuing with a course of treatment, such as orthodontic care, when you are assigned and these problems are directly attributable to you being part of a serving Armed Forces family, please contact us via contactus@nff.org.uk or call 023 9265 4374. We are keen to build up a national picture, working in conjunction with the Army and RAF Families Federations, to identify where Service families face problems accessing NHS dental services, and we will continue to present this evidence to the NHS.

The Current Situation – Accessing NHS Dental Services

Community Dental Services

The Community Dental Services provide treatment for people who may not otherwise seek or receive dental care, such as people with learning disabilities, housebound people, and people with mental or physical health problems or other disabling conditions which prevent them from visiting a family dentist.

The Current Situation – Accessing NHS Dental Services

Under the provision of the National NHS General Dental Services, NHS patients are not registered with a dentist in the same way that they are registered with a GP for primary medical services. A dentist is only obliged to provide ongoing treatment for a period of 2 months at a time from the start of a course of treatment. There is no contractual requirement for dentists to maintain a registered list or guarantee access to an individual. This has been the case since the introduction of the National NHS GDS dental contract in 2006.

This means that you can remain with the dental practice you were previously having treatment under (if feasible) as long as you have regular treatment. Often families are unaware that there is no catchment area for dentists and that they can legitimately still see a dentist in their previous posting location, although we realise that due to distances involved this is not always a practical solution.

While the ideal situation would be for you to access NHS dental care in your local area, we know that there are ‘hotspots’ in some areas which can make this very difficult, so you may need to consider accessing NHS dental services further afield.

Dental Charges

Visit the NHS website to find out more about NHS Dental Charges.

Private Dental Care

Some families are opting to access private dental care and there are a number of options available through companies such as MyDentist or by signing up to DenPlan.

Some dental practices operate a children’s list, so if a parent is a private patient, they may be able to offer NHS treatment to their children – the Practice will have more information about this.

*Please note that the NFF does not endorse any private dental companies, these links are for your information only.*

8. NHS Orthodontic Transfer Information

Armed Forces entitlement

The Armed Forces Covenant is a “promise from the nation that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly”. Due to the transient nature of their role, the Armed Forces and their families should retain their relative position on any NHS waiting list if moved around the UK due to the Service Personnel being assigned.

General Information

The following sections are for use when patients request an orthodontic case transfer either within the UK or from abroad. It is recognised that patients receive the best treatment outcome by completing their treatment under the care of one orthodontist. NHS Orthodontic treatment can take between 18 months to over 2 years. The average length of time of treatment is 21 months.

Orthodontists with existing NHS contracts in England can accept a patient who has moved from another part of the country (or from overseas) who is already waiting for or undergoing NHS orthodontic treatment. Most orthodontists operate two waiting lists; one for assessment and one for treatment. The assessment appointment will determine NHS eligibility e.g. whether a patient can be treated under the NHS and prioritise clinical need.

FAQs

Transfers from Abroad

Where a patient begins treatment abroad (not just EEA) and returns to the UK and is entitled to NHS care, NHS criteria is applicable and not the criteria from the country where they began treatment. The patient should have been under 18 at the point of referral, have had an Index of Treatment Need (IOTN) of at least 3.6 and have good oral health. Patients can find information on who currently provides dental and orthodontic treatment on the NHS Choices website. Patients can enter their postcode and the treatment they require, and a list of practices will be displayed.

Patients should contact their preferred dental practice to arrange an initial appointment and discuss a referral to an orthodontist if appropriate. Alternatively, your GDP may refer you to an orthodontist for their clinical opinion.

Further information

If you have any further queries concerning orthodontic transfers, the Customer Contact Centre is the point of contact for patients and their representatives wanting information about accessing primary care (GP, dental, optical and pharmacy services). Any queries can be directed to NHS England’s Customer Care Centre, as follows:

Telephone: 0300 311 22 33
Email: england.contactus@nhs.net

9. ISODET Locations

As there are no Service provisions for dental care by Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) (Dental) in isolated detachment (ISODET) locations, personnel are authorised to seek dental treatment from local civilian dental practitioners.

Further information

Dental treatment is accessed via One HMG Healthline (HEALIX) and provided by local Host Nation dental practitioners. Prior to attending any dental appointments, contact should be made with One HMG Healthline who will provide further clarification on their processes to follow and they will also provide the relevant forms and paperwork to take to your appointment.

Prior authorisation for all ‘non-routine’ dental treatment must be obtained from One HMG Healthline healthline@healix.com before the treatment can be carried out. Further details can be found in 2020DIN01-091. Patients are strongly recommended to acquaint themselves with this document prior to booking any dental appointments. All treatment requires authorisation from One HMG Healthline for funding before undertaking the treatment.

If One HMG Healthline is not available in your current location, prior approval is obtained from DPHC (Overseas) using 2021DIN01-113. Patients are strongly recommended to acquaint themselves with this document prior to booking any dental appointments. Guidance and prior approval can be sought from UKStratCom-DMS-DPHC-HQODen-Supp@mod.gov.uk.

Dental Fitness prior to Overseas Assignment. All Service, Entitled Personnel, and Civil Servants are to ensure they are dentally fit before taking an assignment abroad. With enough notice, DPHC(Dental) staff will prioritise treatment to SP who are assigned to isolated locations. All entitled personnel are to ensure they have a dental examination and all associated routine treatment completed prior to commencement of the overseas assignment. All family members are required to complete dental clearance through the One HMG Healthcare Hub up to 6 months prior to their posting. Dependants departing without dental clearance may not be entitled to full dental care while overseas.

You will also find location-specific dental care information on Global Support Organisation – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). For more patient-focused information you can also visit the ISODET Dental Care -Rest of World page on My Healthcare Hub on Defence Gateway.