Mayor Eric Garcetti has unveiled a new program that will help deliver essential resources to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) students whose parents or guardians are veterans or active-duty service members.

Thanks to a new collaboration between the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs, LAUSD, the University of Southern California’s Building Capacity Project and the Los Angeles Veterans Collaborative, the school district will now identify students from military families upon enrollment by adding questions to the district’s mandatory student emergency information forms.

“For too long our city has been unable to strategically target resources in a way that directly and efficiently supports our military community,” Garcetti said. “This small change will radically increase our capacity to support veterans and their families as they adjust to life during and after military service.”

LAUSD is the largest school district in the nation to take the step on behalf of military families. The data collected on the emergency forms will help district officials direct services and apply for new federal funding for campuses with high enrollment among military and veteran-connected families.

Military and veteran-connected students can experience high levels of stress, and research shows that they are at an increased risk for substance abuse, weapon carrying, victimization by peers and thoughts of suicide. While the new questions take up only a single line of space on the emergency form, they will help families quickly access critical services — including recreational opportunities, tutoring resources, and advocacy assistance, Garcetti said.

The Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs, the first in Los Angeles since World War II, launched the project in January 2014 by convening key stakeholders from the Los Angeles Veterans Collaborative.

“As a veteran, I have seen firsthand the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform. Their families also pay a price,” said LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines. “Because of frequent moves, their children are often the ‘new kid in class’ who find themselves trying to fit in months after school started. At L.A. Unified, we want to do everything we can to help these students and their families who deserve our heartfelt appreciation for their service.”