New Parent Support Program

The New Parent Support Program is a team made up of nurses, social workers and home visitation specialists who offer support and guidance by helping parents:

• Build strong, healthy bonds with their infants and toddlers that will lay the foundation for their social and emotional development
• Manage the demands of parenting, especially when impacted by deployments and other military operations
• Remain flexible and responsive when navigating daily life
• Build a strong support network
• Respond to infant and toddler behavior sensitively and be attuned to their developmental needs
• Find services in the local community in time of need

Learn more about the New Parent Support Program and contact your installation New Parent Support Program office to find out what’s available at your installation.

New Parent Support Program staff are child development professionals, including registered nurses, clinical social workers, and para-professionals trained in the delivery and practice of established home visiting models. The program is supervised and monitored at the installation level by the Family Advocacy program manager.

The program is available to military families who are expecting a baby or have children age 3 or younger. Marine Corps eligibility includes families with at least one child under 5.

Contact your installation New Parent Support Program office or Family Advocacy Program office.

Do you have a child or infant age 5 years and under, or perhaps you are expecting a baby?  Stop by or call the New Parent Support Program (NPSP) 808-496-8803. NPSP is a professional team of nurses and social workers.  NPSP provides parenting support and education to Marine families through home visitation and free parenting and childbirth preparation classes. The Marine NPSP is family-centered and responsive to the unique strengths and needs of military families experiencing challenges. Marine families will find NPSP beneficial to provide the support they need to cope with the stressors military families face in everyday life. 

Service members and their families are put in uniquely stressful situations, such as lengthy deployments and frequent moves, often with limited support.  Add the normal anxieties of pregnancy and a new baby, and the stress can be overwhelming.  The New Parent Support Program is in place to help service members and their spouses adjust to the rigorous demands of parenthood.  It is designed to promote healthy family functioning, child development, and positive parent-child interactions.  Home visitation is a key component of the program.  

NPSP Home Visitors offer individualized support and education on topics such as:

• Bonding with your new baby or toddler
• Helping older siblings adjust to a new baby
• Potty training, tantrums, separation anxiety, etc. 
• Developmental stages and how children master new skills 
• Alternative ways to discipline your children  
• Strategies to resolve step-family/blended family issues
• How to help your child cope with PCS and Deployments
• Helping children stay connected when their parent is deployed
• Resources available to families in the military and civilian community

In addition to home visits NPSP offers free parenting classes at Marine and Family Services. The 6-week Parenting Proudly (PP) class meets every Monday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.  Free child care is available for all participants on a first come first serve basis so sign-up early at 808-496-8800, 808-496-8802 or 808-496-8804.

Childbirth preparation classes are offered the first Tuesday of every month from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the base chapel. Baby Boot Camp (BBC) is fun and packed with information to prepare you for the birth of your new baby, newborn care and helpful hints to adjust to the arrival of the new baby. Classes fill up fast so be sure to sign-up early to reserve your space at 808-496-8800, 808-496-8802 or 808-496-8804.    

NPSP works closely with military and civilian resources such as ASYMCA Play Mornings; EFMP; PFMP; FOCUS; Navy Relief Society; Child, Youth and Teen Programs; One Source; Hawaii Department of Health Services; Families for Real; WIC; Head Start, to name a few.  

Who is eligible: NPSP is free and voluntary to all Marine families expecting a baby or with a child(ren) 5 yrs. and younger. NPSP is located in Marine and Family Services. Drop-by or call 808-496-8803.