The Navy's Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) serves Navy families with special needs. The EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program for service members with qualifying family members. Enrollment ensures a qualifying family member’s special needs are considered during the assignment process; being service members are assigned to geographic areas where the medical (physical, developmental, and/or mental health) and/or educational needs of their family member(s) are available and accessible.
Qualifying special needs include, but is not limited to, family members who require any kind of specialty medical care or doctors and/or any type of educational support services, either of them lasting six months or longer. Some examples of qualifying services: early intervention services, Individual Education Program (IEP), referrals to speech/occupational therapy, clinical counseling, required adaptive equipment assistive technology devices and services and/or wheelchair accessibility. Additional criteria can be found in the DoDI1315.19, section 3, Criteria for Identifying Family Members with Special Needs.
The EFMP provides for the identification of the family member’s special needs through enrollment forms with follow on assignment coordination and family support.
The Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFAAS) application maintains the electronic EFMP enrollment (and updated) paperwork. NFAAS provides capabilities for non-clinical case management by an assigned EFMP Case Liaison, allowing documentation of referrals provided, individualized service plans (ISP) and family needs assessments (FNA) developed. NFASS also allows the service member to track the status of his/her enrollment. A Family Member’s User Guide is available under the help tab.
The Fleet and Family Support Program is the Information and Referral conduit for questions from families regarding available resources on base, those located in the local community as well as within the state and nationally.
EFMP Family Support provides/supports:
- EFMP Case Liaisons located at the Fleet and Family Support Centers (FFSC) and are assigned to Sailors enrolled in the EFMP
- Information, referral, system navigation and support to special needs families on various topics such as: Tricare/medical, schools, support groups, housing, special education, respite, and PCS moves, etc.
- Links families to available military, local, state and national resources.
- Develop and maintain ISPs and FNAs
- Review and feedback an EFMs Individual Education Program (IEPs) and attend IEP meetings for family support
- Delivery and coordination of EFMP type training for families, supports EFMP related events on/off base and for commands
- Command EFMP POC training
- Partnership with the military treatment facility (MTF) EFMP Coordinators providing information, education/training and marketing about the EFMP to clinic staff
- Regional Special Education Liaisons (RSEL) located within the FFSCs at Commander, Navy Regions Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southwest, Naval District Washinton, Northwest, and Hawaii (supports overseas locations) who are subject matter experts in the field of special education and are available to support to families enrolled in the EFMP with unique and challenging special education related situations.
Additional legal support may be sought through the Navy Legal Assistance Program (see link below). Navy Legal Assistance Program - Brochure
EFMP Respite Care
- The Navy’s child EFMP Respite Care Program is provided to eligible Sailors through Child Care Aware Navy Respite Care
- Please contact your EFMP Case Liaison, located at your Fleet and Family Support Center, for more information visit the EFMP Respite Care Webpage
Military Treatment Facility (MTF) EFMP Coordinators
- MTF Coordinator can provide enrollment forms (DD Form 2792 and DD Form 2792-1), may explain the form, review completed forms for accuracy, and upload the enrollment package to NFAAS for review by PERS456 EFMP Branch Central Screening Committee (CSC).
- Overseas MTFs coordinate with Overseas and Suitability Screening (OSS), the DoDDs and the local Educational and Developmental Intervention Services program
- MTF EFMP Coordinators partner with the FFSC EFMP Case Liaisons to provide EFMP information, education and marketing to families and clinic staff
- MTF personnel conduct the OSS and may make referrals for enrollment. The OSS process is separate from the EFMP enrollment process
EFMP Additional Resources
Updated 22 April 2026