What is the DA 5305 form?
Form DA 5305, Family Care Plan, is a U.S. Department of the Army document that captures how a soldier will care for their dependents during deployments, field training, mobilizations, and any other time the soldier is unavailable. Soldiers responsible for raising children, or for adults who depend on them, fill it out to name short-term and long-term caregivers and to lay out the steps that keep family life running while they serve.
What is DA 5305 used for?
DA 5305 turns a soldier's care arrangements into a written plan their commander can review and rely on. Soldiers use it to:
- Identify short-term and long-term caregivers for each dependent
- Spell out housing, school, medical, and financial arrangements
- Document powers of attorney, wills, and benefits paperwork
- Show that the soldier can deploy without leaving family responsibilities open
How to fill out DA 5305
- 1
Enter the soldier's name, rank, unit, and DoD ID number at the top.
- 2
List every dependent, with date of birth, special needs, and contact information.
- 3
Name the short-term and long-term caregivers and add their addresses and phone numbers.
- 4
Describe housing, school, medical, financial, and travel arrangements for each caregiver.
- 5
Attach supporting documents such as powers of attorney, custody orders, and wills.
- 6
Review every section with the unit family care plan counselor before sharing the completed form.
Who needs to file DA 5305?
Soldiers who are sole parents, dual-military couples with dependents, soldiers caring for adult dependents, and other situations listed in AR 600-20 must keep a current DA 5305 on file. The soldier sets up the plan, and each named caregiver acknowledges the role.
After the form is signed, the company commander and unit family care plan counselor review the plan, confirm it is workable, and keep a copy in the soldier's records. Leaders refer back to it before deployments, alerts, and field exercises to make sure dependents have stable care while the soldier is away.
Who doesn't need to file DA 5305?
Soldiers without dependents under their care do not need DA 5305. Married soldiers whose civilian spouse is fully able to care for the children at home, with no special circumstances such as the spouse's deployment or extended absence, also fall outside the requirement. Civilian employees, contractors, retirees, and members of other services follow their own family readiness and personnel rules instead of this Army form.
When is DA 5305 due?
The deadline for DA 5305 follows the rules in AR 600-20. New soldiers covered by the requirement complete a plan within 30 days of arriving at their first unit, and any soldier whose family situation changes refreshes the plan within 30 days. Commanders also review the plan at least once a year and before any deployment, alert, or field exercise that takes the soldier away from home.
How to get DA 5305
The U.S. Department of the Army issues DA 5305 through the Army Publishing Directorate forms library, and unit family care plan counselors keep current copies in the orderly room. If you want to fill out the details before your counselor review, our editor has a blank standing by — the chain of command still owns the approval and filing.
How to sign DA 5305
DA 5305 must be signed by hand in ink, since the Army keeps wet signatures from the soldier, each named caregiver, and the company commander on the original Family Care Plan. After you fill the form on our platform, download the completed file, print it, and pass it for ink signatures and dates. Checking the latest AR 600-20 guidance is a good idea before filing the plan.
Where to file DA 5305
Once your DA 5305 is signed, hand the original to the unit family care plan counselor, who routes it to the company commander for review and keeps a copy in the soldier's records. The soldier holds an additional copy at home, and named caregivers receive a copy with the supporting powers of attorney and instructions they need.
