Today at Fayetteville Technical Community College, Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina is becoming a Do Your Part State, a joint initiative between Blue Star Families and the National Governors Association. Recognizing that community support for military families is crucial to military recruiting and readiness, this initiative helps states identify, prioritize, and implement the most effective policies and programs to support military families.
“Just as servicemembers and their families have served us, we must serve them,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Supporting military families and ensuring they can focus on their core mission to keep us safe is critical to our nation’s security and the right thing to do. I am grateful that North Carolina is a Do Your Part State, and I am proud to reaffirm our state’s commitment to being a top state for military families.”
“North Carolina is home to more than 600,000 veterans and has the fourth-largest active-duty population of any state in the country,” said Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs Jocelyn Mallette. “I am proud that North Carolina is becoming a Do Your Part State. We owe it to our service members and families to address the unique challenges they face and give them a bright future here in North Carolina.”
“Supporting our military families is not just the right thing to do — it’s essential to our nation’s strength and future. Maryland is proud to lead as a Do Your Part state, and I’m honored to chair this initiative with Blue Star Families and the National Governors Association," said Maryland Governor Wes Moore. "I’m excited to welcome Governor Stein and North Carolina to this growing collaboration. Together, we’re leading the way in supporting those who serve and the families who stand beside them.”
Blue Star Families is a national nonprofit organization that supports military families – known as Blue Star families – through the challenges of military life by helping connect them with the communities where they live during their servicemembers’ military assignments.
Governor Stein is committed to making North Carolina even more welcoming to military families. This year, he signed into law four bills that support servicemembers and their families, helping military spouses transfer their professional licenses from out of state, making it easier to remotely renew drivers’ licenses, aiding parents enrolling their kids in public school, and helping military students afford tuition in the University of North Carolina System. By participating in this initiative, North Carolina renews its dedication to bettering the lives of servicemembers and their families.
North Carolina is committed to comprehensively supporting its military families. Ongoing initiatives include but are not limited to:
- Resource Guide 2024/2025: A guide created by the North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs to compile resources, centers, and organizations to serve military and veteran families.
- North Carolina Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (MIC3): A compact aiming to remove educational barriers for children of military families due to frequent moves and deployments, addressing key issues such as eligibility, enrollment, placement, and graduation.
- MCCYN-PLUS: An initiative that provides financial support for community child care programs and helps military families access quality child care when on-base options are unavailable.
- Purple Star Award Program for North Carolina Military-Friendly Schools: A program by the Department of Public Instruction that recognizes schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to the U.S. Armed Forces.
- North Carolina State Employment Veteran and National Guard Preference: A state government initiative that offers employment preference for eligible veterans, current and former North Carolina National Guard Service members, and their spouses for state initial employment, subsequent employment, promotions, reassignments, horizontal transfers, and reduction-in-force situations.
- North Carolina National Guard Medical Insurance Benefits: A state government initiative that may allow North Carolina National Guard Service members and their dependents to be eligible for health care insurance provided by the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees.
- North Carolina National Guard Tuition Assistance Program (NCTAP): A tuition reimbursement program for drilling members of the North Carolina National Guard who are attending an approved North Carolina Educational Institution.
- House Bill 67: Healthcare Workforce Reforms: A bill that creates an Interstate Medical Licensure Compact to support military spouses, among others, transferring their licenses.
- House Bill 231: Social Work Interstate Licensure Compact: A bill that allows military spouses who are social workers to more easily transfer their licenses to North Carolina.
- Senate Bill 118: Military and Veteran Support Act: A bill that makes it easier for military families to enroll their children in school and renew their drivers’ licenses remotely.
- House Bill 373: UNC Tuition Discounts for Certain Students: A bill that provides a tuition discount for military students attending the University of North Carolina.
- North Carolina Military and Overseas Voter Services: A state government initiative that helps servicemembers overseas register and vote in local, state, and federal elections.
- NCWorks Veterans Services Professionals: The Department of Commerce has 50 NCWorks Veterans Services professionals (all of whom are veterans) whose mission is to help their fellow veterans find good jobs and training opportunities, and many staff members focus on partnering with businesses interested in hiring veterans.
Click here to read Governor Stein’s proclamation designating North Carolina a Do Your Part State.