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.

The New Parent Support Home Visitation Program (NPSHVP) is located at 525 Farragut Ave., 1st floor, Bldg. 26, phone number 847-688-3603. It is designed to assist and support command readiness for service members by providing education and support to expectant and new parents and to empower them to meet the challenges of parenthood and their military lifestyle.

Services include home visits utilizing the Nurturing Parenting Curriculum, information and referral to appropriate community resources and Ages and Stages Developmental screenings and support to families of deployed service members.

Families may self-refer to NPSHVP by calling the above number or by coming to the Fleet and Family Support Center. Other referrals come from the Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes (NHCGL) Women's Health Clinic, and Pediatric Clinics, commands, and other sources. Families with new babies, children 0-3 years of age and pregnant women may volunteer for screening and assessment for parenting risks or stressors and are offered home visits and parenting education.

The specific NPSHVP goals for participant families include the following:

Promote healthy family functioning and positive parent-child interactions.

Enhance parent's skills in coping with the challenges of parenting and military life.

Increase parents' awareness of positive parenting.

Increase parents' knowledge of child development.

Promote healthy childhood growth and development.

Increase parents' coping skills regarding the addition of a new child to the family.

Improve prenatal care through referral services and health-related education.

Increase parents' awareness of and access to military and civilian community resources.

Reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect through home-based supportive education.

Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)

The Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) located at 525A Farragut Ave., Suite 300, Bldg. 26, Great Lakes, phone number 847-688-6830, sponsors the Budget for Baby Classes and gives Baby's their first sea bag. A visiting nurse makes new baby visits to weigh the baby and assist with breastfeeding and health issues. NMCRS maintains an on-base Thrift Store.

James A. Lowell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC)

The James A. Lowell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC)  has a clinic for pediatric services located at 3001 A Sixth St. building 200H, Great Lakes, phone number 847-688-3583, and provides well-baby exams, sick care, breastfeeding classes and Warmline, lactation consultant, immunizations, and case management services.