Month of the Military Child

Month of the Military Child (MOMC) is a time to recognize the strength, resilience, and sacrifices of children in military and veteran families across Maryland. DVMF knows these young people serve alongside their families—not just in April, but every day. From frequent moves to new schools and time apart from loved ones, military-connected children show courage, adaptability, and pride in their unique experiences.

We encourage Maryland communities to recognize the military children in your lives, celebrate their perspectives, and strengthen the connections that help families thrive.

Here are resources to help you and your community honor and celebrate the Month of the Military Child:

Purple Up Day

Wear purple on a special day to celebrate military kids! Purple has been chosen to represent all service branches, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and Veterans. It blends each branch’s colors: the Air Force, Navy, Space Force, and Coast Guard’s blues, the Army’s green, and the Marines’ red. MCEC celebrates Purple Up Day on April 15, 2026 – but it’s always a good day to Purple Up!

Hashtags to Help Spread the Word

Use #MOMC and #BraveHeartsBrightFutures for discussion every April, and #PurpleUp for promotion and celebration of your area’s Purple Up Day. And all year long, please tag #MCEC when you recognize military-connected kids and their stories!

Month of the Military Child Toolkit

Presenting a collection of resources as a toolkit to help you celebrate military-connected children during April’s Month of the Military Child.

2026 Events

April 11: Platoon Pastures celebrating the Month of the Military Child at Platoon 22

April 12: ROAR For Kids at Kennedy Krieger at the Maryland Zoo

April 16: "Purple Up" Preschool Storytime that features stories about military families at Odenton Library

April 18: More Than One Dream: A Month of the Military Child Book Launch with Riley Tejcek Virtual Event