Dandelion Military Families – The Challenges Military Families Face After Loss

Can you share the story behind the founding of your organisation and what inspired you to create it?

Dandelion Military Families was founded on the lived experiences of three military connected mums who experienced perinatal mental health challenges.  Frustrated by the lack of awareness, understanding and joined up support for military parents, our founders embarked upon a mission to create a peer support network of their own, so that other military parents might feel less alone and have better experiences in future. 

What are the core missions and goals of your organisation in supporting bereaved families?

The core mission of Dandelion Military Families is to facilitate honest conversations around the experiences of military parents, and through this generate supportive connections and create a sense of belonging for military families in early parenthood.

Could you highlight some of the most impactful programs and services you offer to families experiencing baby loss?

Pregnancy, baby and child loss impacts families from all walks of life; military families are not immune from that heartbreak. However, the circumstances surrounding pregnancy, baby and child loss, might look and feel very different to those in the civilian space. The unique experiences of military life might complicate those circumstances, make access to support more challenging or complicate the grief processes. At Dandelion Military Families we want to recognise that. So, we’ve worked with national pregnancy and baby loss charity, Sands, to provide a dedicated support group for Armed Forces Families. The group meets monthly, is facilitated by a Sands’ trained peer supporter and is accessed Online, so that no matter where in the world parents are posted, they can still access dedicated support.

For Baby Loss Awareness Week 2024, we are also hosting the first in person pregnancy, baby and child loss commemorative event for military connected parents. The event will bring parents who’ve experienced loss from across the military community together to remember and commemorate the lives of the babies and children taken from us too soon. We hope that in providing a space for reflection and togetherness, our military parents will feel support and solidarity from our wider community and that the event will generate much needed awareness about baby and child loss. 

What have been some of your most significant achievements or milestones since the charity’s inception?

Growth has been our most significant achievement thus far. We started out as a team of three mums, desperate for change, but unsure of how to start and within 18 months we’ve trained 3 perinatal mental health peer supporters, collaborated with Sands to provide a bespoke support service for bereaved parents and joined the Maternal Mental Health Alliance to campaign on long term improvements to mental health services for military families. We also engage routinely with military parents from all three services; providing much needed support to those who are experiencing difficulties. For a small team, we’ve made big strides already. 

How do you ensure that your support services are accessible and effective for all bereaved parents?

Our support is accessible to parents from the military community irrespective of service, rank, location or circumstance. Our peer supporters have received certified training and are equipped to support both mothers and fathers. Furthermore the majority of our support is conducted online, which makes it accessible wherever in the world our military families may be. 

What are your future plans and visions for the charity over the next five years?

We are beginning to see real interest and engagement from stakeholders in both the military and healthcare community, and have lots of projects in development, though not many we can reveal currently! Our biggest challenge ahead is securing funding for the work we do day-to-day, at present we are a very small team of dedicated volunteers with our own military challenges and we would like to see our work secured for the foreseeable. 

How can individuals and communities get involved in supporting your charity and its mission?

Individuals and communities can get involved or support us by sharing our mission, talking about the challenges military families experience and by contacting us to see if there are opportunities to collaborate. We also always welcome support from those who want to fundraise on our behalf.

Can you share a particular story or testimonial from a family who has been positively impacted by your charity’s work

“Dandelion Military Families have shone a much-needed light on the difficult subject of parental mental health. From struggling with separation, post-natal depression, child bereavement and every other issue in-between they have nailed their social media platforms to perfection. No other organisation that supports the armed forces and their families has touched this topic with as much sensitivity knowledge understanding and passion. These ladies have understood the niche needs we have as military parents and given us a unique refreshing and honest window into our own world.”  – Stacey, January 2024.

To learn more about the incredible work of the Dandelion Military Families charity visit: dandelionmilfamili.com

or email: dandelionmilfamilies@gmail.com