In order to qualify:

• The child must be the biological child of a woman Veteran who served in Vietnam.
• The birth mother must have served in Vietnam between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975.
• The child must have been conceived after the date on which the Veteran first entered the Republic of Vietnam, and have a birth defect which resulted in a permanent physical or mental disability.

Veterans Affairs (VA) has no requirements regarding the character of the mother’s discharge or the length of her service.

The covered birth defects do not include conditions due to family disorders, birth-related injuries, or fetal or neonatal infirmities with well-established causes.

Note: VA can pay for health care specific to the disability, and it may provide vocational counseling, rehabilitation, education and training, if reasonably feasible. The child must be receiving a VA monthly allowance to qualify for those other benefits.