EFMP Enrollment and Its Impact on Military Assignments

• Active-duty sponsors must enroll qualifying dependents using DD Form 2792, DD Form 2792-1, or both.
• Update EFMP enrollment at least every 3 years and sooner after any material medical, educational, or dependent-status change.
• Submit a second-review request within the safest deadline of 14 calendar days after an assignment non-recommendation.
• Service EFMP respite provides standard levels of 20 or 32 hours per month after an eligibility review.
• Attach the current, complete IEP or IFSP whenever you submit DD Form 2792-1.

EFMP can protect your family and restrict your assignment choices

EFMP enrollment can keep your family from being sent somewhere that lacks required specialists, therapies, equipment support, or special education services. It can also remove an assignment from consideration, complicate an overseas move, or result in an unaccompanied tour.

The Exceptional Family Member Program has three connected components: identification and enrollment, assignment coordination, and Family Support. Enrollment documents your dependent’s needs. Assignment coordination compares those needs with services at a projected duty station. Family Support helps you locate care, prepare for a PCS, and request programs such as respite care.

EFMP does not decide where you serve. Your branch’s personnel or assignment authority does. Mission requirements remain the driving factor, while EFMP advises whether the location can reasonably support your enrolled family members.

Active-duty sponsors must enroll qualifying dependents

Enrollment is mandatory for an active-duty service member who has a dependent meeting medical or educational criteria. Contact your military treatment facility’s EFMP medical office if you are unsure whether a condition qualifies. Do not decide on your own that a diagnosis is “not severe enough.”

A potentially qualifying family member can include a spouse, child, or dependent adult who:

• Has a chronic medical condition requiring continuing care.
• Receives recurring treatment from a specialist.
• Has behavioral-health care requirements.
• Needs adaptive equipment or assistive technology.
• Requires environmental, architectural, housing, or transportation accommodations.
• Is eligible for or receives early-intervention or special-education services.

For educational enrollment, qualifying children range from birth through age 21. This includes a child receiving early intervention under an Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP, and a child eligible for special education under an Individualized Education Program, or IEP.

A medical diagnosis alone does not establish educational eligibility. The child must be eligible for or receiving early-intervention or special-education services. Conversely, a dependent can qualify medically without having an IEP or IFSP.

Guard and Reserve participation follows component and service rules. Members serving on qualifying extended Title 10 orders may be eligible or required to participate. Confirm the rule with your branch rather than treating active-duty procedures as universal.

Dual-military families also need service-specific guidance. Depending on branch procedures, both sponsors may need to enroll the qualifying dependent.

Creating an EFMP & Me account does not enroll anyone. Enrollment requires a completed packet and a determination from the service enrollment office.

DD Form 2792 and DD Form 2792-1 serve different purposes

You may need one form or both. Use the medical form for children and adults with qualifying health needs. Use the educational form for children receiving or eligible for early-intervention or special-education services.

The physician or other qualified provider should describe what the dependent actually needs, including frequency of treatment, severity, equipment, and accommodations. A form that merely lists a diagnosis may not provide enough information to evaluate a projected location.

For DD Form 2792-1, attach the current, complete IEP or IFSP. A summary page or outdated plan can delay the enrollment decision.

Submit the enrollment packet in this order:

1. Contact the military treatment facility EFMP medical office or your service’s designated EFMP office.
2. Obtain DD Form 2792, DD Form 2792-1, or both.
3. Complete the family and demographic sections without signing prematurely.
4. Have the medical provider, school, early-intervention program, or DoDEA staff complete its sections.
5. Review every page for blank fields, understated care requirements, and missing attachments.
6. Have the proper person sign. An adult dependent who has capacity must sign their own documents.
7. Return the packet to the EFMP coordinator for a completeness review.
8. Wait for the service enrollment office to issue the determination.

The treating provider documents the condition but does not make the final enrollment decision. The service enrollment office does. Review the DoD standardized EFMP enrollment process for the standardized process.

Assignment reviewers compare documented needs with local capacity

EFMP assignment coordination asks one practical question: Can the projected location meet every enrolled family member’s documented needs?

For a CONUS assignment, reviewers may examine:

• Military treatment facility and TRICARE provider availability.
• Distance to required care.
• Provider wait times and access-to-care standards.
• Severity of the dependent’s condition.
• Frequency of appointments or treatment.
• Availability of school or early-intervention services.

The presence of one specialist in the area does not automatically make a location suitable. That provider may have a wait list that prevents access, be too far away, or lack capacity for the frequency of treatment documented on DD Form 2792.

EFMP staff can consult the gaining military treatment facility, TRICARE, and case-management personnel. They then recommend or do not recommend the projected location. The personnel command makes the assignment decision.

Accurate enrollment protects against unsupported moves

Accurate enrollment lowers the risk of moving your family to a location where required care or educational services are unavailable or inaccessible. It gives assignment officials documented requirements to evaluate before the move instead of leaving you to discover the shortage after arrival.

Enrollment does not create assignment preferences

EFMP does not guarantee:

• Assignment to your preferred installation.
• Assignment near a specific physician or relative.
• Approval of an overseas command-sponsored tour.
• Exemption from deployment.
• Protection from worldwide assignment eligibility.
• Promotion, military school, or career preference.

Your grade, specialty, billet availability, operational requirements, and tour eligibility still matter. A family member’s needs can make one location infeasible without creating a suitable billet at the location you want.

If a location cannot support the documented needs, your command may consider another assignment. Under applicable service policy, you could also elect or be required to serve while your family remains elsewhere. That possibility is expensive and disruptive. Compare housing and relocation costs in the Military Pay and PCS Workspace and check your household income against the 2026 enlisted basic pay chart before accepting an arrangement that creates two households.

EFMP enrollment is not an automatic ban on OCONUS assignments. It does mean overseas family travel and command-sponsorship screening may identify services that are unavailable at the gaining location.

The standardized EFMP assignment process covers service availability, non-recommendations, second reviews, and transition handoffs.

Respond to a non-recommendation within 14 calendar days

If EFMP does not recommend a projected assignment, the notice should explain why and tell you how to request a second review. You may need updated DD Form 2792, DD Form 2792-1, provider documentation, or a combination of those records.

Official DoD materials conflict over whether the response period is 14 calendar days or 14 business days. Protect yourself by acting within 14 calendar days of the original assignment notification and confirming the exact deadline with your service assignment office.

Do not spend that period arguing that your dependent is “doing better” without records. Obtain a provider statement addressing the specific reason for the non-recommendation.

If the concern is specialist access, document the actual frequency of care and whether telehealth or another clinically acceptable arrangement changes the requirement. If it concerns education, provide the current IEP or IFSP and any relevant school documentation.

Final notification is expected within 30 calendar days of the original assignment notification under the standardized process. Keep copies of the original notice, your reconsideration request, every attachment, and proof of submission.

Family Support can help even when your orders do not change

EFMP Family Support operates through installation family support centers. Its personnel provide nonclinical assistance rather than medical treatment or legal representation.

You can request:

• Information and referrals for military and community services.
• Help locating medical, school, and early-intervention resources.
• Nonclinical case management and family-services planning.
• Education about EFMP procedures and available programs.
• PCS transition help between losing and gaining installations.
• A warm handoff to the gaining installation’s Family Support office.

Family Support may be available even if your family is not formally enrolled. That access does not cancel mandatory enrollment when your dependent meets the criteria.

Standardized Family Support procedures call for at least one personal contact each year with assigned families. You do not have to wait for that call. Contact the office when a diagnosis changes, a PCS appears likely, or a gaining location is proving difficult to research.

Military OneSource also provides special-needs consultations at 800-342-9647, including help for geographically isolated families. Its DoD EFMP resource guide covers the program’s enrollment, assignment, support, and respite components.

A PCS can also interrupt a spouse’s employment. If orders require a rapid move or an unaccompanied arrangement, update your spouse’s materials through the Military Transition Resume Center and track applications and follow-ups in the Transition Application Tracker.

EFMP respite care requires a separate eligibility review

Service EFMP respite care gives temporary relief to a primary caregiver. It is a benefit, not an entitlement. Enrollment alone does not guarantee hours.

Request an eligibility review through your installation EFMP Family Support office. Standard levels are:

• 20 hours per month for one assessed level of need.
• 32 hours per month for a higher assessed level of need.

Additional hours may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Standardized coverage includes qualifying adult dependents. Sibling care is not covered under the standardized service EFMP respite benefit.

Do not confuse service EFMP respite with TRICARE’s Extended Care Health Option.

ECHO generally requires EFMP enrollment unless specifically waived, correct disability information in DEERS, separate ECHO registration, and prior authorization. Registration is not retroactive. ECHO’s 16-hour respite and ECHO Home Health Care respite cannot be used in the same month.

These TRICARE respite programs are generally limited to the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Review the TRICARE ECHO requirements and benefits before care starts. Receiving unauthorized services first and asking for coverage later can leave you responsible for the bill.

Update EFMP records every three years or after a change

EFMP records must be updated at least every 3 years. Submit an earlier update when the information used for assignment coordination no longer reflects your family member’s needs.

Triggers include:

• A new or changed diagnosis.
• A new specialist or different appointment frequency.
• A changed treatment plan or medication requirement.
• New equipment, home-health, accessibility, or accommodation needs.
• A changed IEP or IFSP affecting required services.
• A change in dependent status or insurance information.

Use a new DD Form 2792, DD Form 2792-1, or both. Some services or locations may require educational information more often, so follow the deadline given by your EFMP office.

Stale records create two risks. They can make a suitable assignment look impossible because old documents overstate current needs. They can also make an unsuitable assignment look acceptable because the file omits new treatment, equipment, or educational requirements.

Do not wait for final orders to disclose a material change. Contact EFMP when you receive a new diagnosis or treatment plan, especially if an assignment is already being considered.

Start OCONUS screening as soon as your branch permits

OCONUS family travel screening is separate from enrollment. It may apply to all accompanying dependents, including families without a current EFMP enrollment. Your branch determines when screening starts and which system or office manages it.

Begin as soon as official assignment notification or orders permit. Before family travel is approved, verify:

1. Specialist availability, distance, and realistic wait times.
2. TRICARE network capacity and referral requirements.
3. Access to medications, durable equipment, and home-health support.
4. The school’s or DoDEA program’s ability to implement the IEP.
5. Availability of early-intervention services for a child with an IFSP.
6. Accessible housing, local transportation, and required environmental accommodations.

Ask the losing EFMP Family Support office for a warm handoff to the gaining office. If nobody contacts you, request it directly. Send the gaining office your questions before household goods move, school withdrawal, or irreversible housing commitments.

Keep one electronic and one accessible paper copy of DD Form 2792, DD Form 2792-1, the complete IEP or IFSP, assignment notices, second-review records, medication lists, equipment details, and contact information for current providers. Then use the PCS planning workspace to compare duty-station costs while EFMP and personnel officials complete the service-availability review.

Questions people actually ask

Does EFMP enrollment stop you from going overseas?

No. EFMP enrollment is not an automatic bar to OCONUS assignments, worldwide eligibility, or deployment. Assignment reviewers determine whether the projected location can support your dependent’s documented medical and educational needs. If services are unavailable, the location may not be recommended, another assignment may be considered, or service policy may require an unaccompanied tour.

What forms do you need to enroll in EFMP?

Use DD Form 2792, Family Member Medical Summary, for qualifying medical needs. Use DD Form 2792-1, Early Intervention/Special Education Summary, for a child eligible for or receiving early-intervention or special-education services. Attach the current, complete IEP or IFSP to DD Form 2792-1. Some families need both forms.

How often do you have to update EFMP enrollment?

Update EFMP information at least every 3 years and sooner whenever diagnosis, treatment, specialist frequency, equipment needs, accommodations, dependent status, or insurance information changes. Use an updated DD Form 2792, DD Form 2792-1, or both. Do not wait for PCS orders if your existing records no longer describe the dependent’s current needs.

How many respite hours does EFMP provide?

Standard service EFMP respite levels are 20 or 32 hours per month, based on assessed need. Extra hours may be considered for exceptional circumstances. Respite is a benefit rather than an entitlement, so enrollment does not guarantee approval. Request an eligibility review through your installation EFMP Family Support office. Sibling care is not included.

Can you appeal an EFMP assignment non-recommendation?

You can request a second review using updated DD Form 2792, DD Form 2792-1, provider records, or educational documentation. Because official materials conflict between 14 calendar days and 14 business days, submit your request within 14 calendar days of the original assignment notification and confirm your service’s current deadline immediately.

Is an IEP enough for EFMP educational enrollment?

An IEP can establish that a child is eligible for or receiving special-education services, but you still need DD Form 2792-1 completed by the appropriate school, early-intervention, or DoDEA personnel. Attach the current, complete IEP. For children receiving early intervention, attach the complete IFSP instead. A medical diagnosis by itself does not establish educational eligibility.