Partners in PROMISE launches survey on military respite care cuts

By AI, Created 6:21 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – Partners in PROMISE has launched a survey to document how 2025 changes to military respite care have affected families in the Exceptional Family Member Program. The nonprofit wants the data to shape advocacy with the Pentagon, Congress and military leaders as families report fewer hours and lost services.

Why it matters: - Respite care gives military caregivers a temporary, no-cost break and can be essential for families handling medical and special needs. - For families in the Exceptional Family Member Program, changes to respite care can affect daily stability, caregiving burden and military readiness. - Partners in PROMISE is trying to turn individual family experiences into data that policymakers can use.

What happened: - Partners in PROMISE launched a survey on June 4, 2026, asking affected military families to document changes in respite care. - The nonprofit is targeting families whose respite care changed after the Department of Defense standardized the benefit in 2025. - The survey is available at the respite care survey and takes about 10 minutes to complete.

The details: - The 2025 policy replaced separate service-specific respite rules with a single Level of Need rubric across all military branches. - Families rated Level 3 now receive 20 hours per month. - Families rated Level 4 now receive 32 hours per month. - Families assessed below Level 3 are no longer eligible. - Navy and Air Force families that once received up to 40 hours a month saw a cut in support. - The standardized policy also ended sibling care coverage for Air Force families. - One Air Force spouse said the family had to re-qualify, navigate an appeal and move to a new program while details were still changing. - The spouse said the uncertainty, delays and disruptions created significant stress for the family.

Between the lines: - The survey is also a pressure campaign, not just a research exercise. - Partners in PROMISE wants to show that reductions in hours are not abstract policy changes; they affect appointments, rest and basic daily functioning. - Michelle Norman, founder and CEO of Partners in PROMISE, said families often absorb cuts because they have no other choice, and the survey is meant to make those losses visible in the policy record.

What’s next: - Responses will feed the organization’s advocacy with the Department of Defense, Congress and military leadership. - Partners in PROMISE wants families who experienced a change in respite care to report what they received before, what they receive now and how the change affected daily life. - The nonprofit says the survey results will help inform future policy conversations about military caregiving support.

The bottom line: - Partners in PROMISE is asking military families to document respite care cuts now, hoping the data can help restore support later.