JULIE PARRISH

OREGON HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

HOUSE DISTRICT 37

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Jennifer Waggoner
October 25, 2011	503-715-7874

OREGON’S MILITARY CHILDREN TO BE FOCUS OF

‘PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT’

Attorney General to Deliver Remarks at Wednesday Dinner

SALEM— Rep. Julie Parrish (R-Tualatin/West Linn) and former Sen. Martha Schrader will host a two-day ‘public engagement’ this week aimed at improving services for children in Oregon’s military families. The event, sponsored by the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), will be held this Wednesday and Thursday at the Salem Conference Center.

The Oregon “Living in the New Normal” Public Engagement will begin with a dinner Wednesday evening with remarks from Attorney General John Kroger.  Patty Shinseki, wife of U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, will explain the public engagement process and MCEC’s work with military children.  Gov. John Kitzhaber and Oregon’s First Lady Cylvia Hayes will also attend the dinner.

“Every day, children in military families live with the ‘new normal’ of separation, injury, illness and loss,” Rep. Parrish said. “Martha and I are pleased to bring the Public Engagement process to Oregon.  For two days, we’ll convene community leaders to develop action plans to ensure military children receive the services they need to lead healthy and happy lives.”

After the dinner, the public engagement will reconvene Thursday morning for a series of work groups that will examine the current landscape for military children in Oregon and determine what is needed.   Participants will develop action plans, and discuss next steps for delivering services to children. 

“Participants will consider a number of solutions and strategies for our military children, from improving mental health care to expanding educational services,” Rep. Parrish said.  “The Military Child Education Coalition has been successful in helping kids in other states, and we look forward to discussing how we can strengthen the support system here in Oregon.”

For more information on Military Child Education Coalition, visit MilitaryChild.org.  For more information on the two-day Oregon “Living in the New Normal” Public Engagement, call Rep. Julie Parrish’s Capitol office at 503-986-1437.

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