Today, society has a greater understanding of what constitutes children at risk. Unlike years past, educators within society can no longer take the luxury of ignoring students facing emotional and social challenges. Instead, they must respond quickly and positively to the needs of students faced with many of these challenges by developing programs to address their unmet needs. In addition, with the growing understanding of the nature of both family systems and education systems, educators can target behavior patterns among identified family systems as they recognize them. This paper first examines today's school-aged students' vulnerabilities and needs, particularly those in rural areas, using Maine as an example. It then proposes the creation of a new position, the Family Education Consultant, to assist strained rural families by helping them develop support systems to address identified needs. (Contains 4 tables.)