SC leaders, wife of VA chief meet on military kids

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The wife of the head of the Veterans Affairs Administration is praising South Carolina’s community leaders and state school system for their efforts to support children in military families.

Patty Shinseki was meeting Thursday in Columbia with Barbara Livingston, the wife of South Carolina’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Robert Livingston, who hosted the session aimed at helping communities provide services to military children.

Shinseki is on the board of the national nonprofit Military Child Education Coalition, which helps children in military families get a quality education.

Shinseki was an Army spouse for 38 years. She says military children often need special support and understanding, given parents’ deployments and frequent moves.

South Carolina officials estimate there are about 41,000 children in the public schools with a parent on active duty.