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 Program helps military parents, including expectant parents, transition successfully into parenthood and provides a nurturing environment for their children. The program offers 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.

This NPSRHV is housed at the Fleet & Family Support Center. The program is designed to assist expectant or new parents with parenting and military lifestyle challenges. There are two levels of services:

• Level I - information and referral services.
• Level II - provides home visitation including family support, developmental screening of children, parent/home education as well as information and referral services.

For more information on the NPSPHV and other resources that might be available, call FFSC 860-694-3383 or reach out to the "Thames Valley Council for Community Action" 860-425-6549  (LINK: https://www.tvcca.org). 

Budgeting for Baby: The Navy Marine Corps Relief Society has ‘Budgeting for Baby', a two-hour class to help prepare families financially for the arrival of a new baby. Upon completion of the class, participants will receive a "Junior Seabag" which contains over $100.00 worth of items for your newborn including a handmade blanket and sweater set. Budgeting for Baby is open to all ranks of Navy, Marine Corp and Coast Guard expectant parents and is not limited to first pregnancies.

Types of services provided: The New Parent Support Program's staff consists of nurses, social workers and home visitation specialists, and is supervised and monitored at the installation level by the Family Advocacy program manager. The program focuses on providing one-on-one support for new and expectant parents through home visits, but some installations may offer parenting classes and groups. Services vary by service branch and by installation, but they can include:

• Home visits – As a new parent, you may feel more comfortable asking questions and expressing your concerns about parenthood, including sleep, nutrition, behavior management, breastfeeding and other concerns, in the privacy of your own home.
• Referrals to other resources – Home visitors can help you find and take advantage of additional services offered through the military health care system, your installation or the local community that best suit your needs.
• Prenatal classes – Prenatal classes help parents know what to expect when the baby comes home from the hospital. Topics include feeding and nutrition, bathing and preventative health care.
• Parenting classes – Hands-on classes for both parents of infants and toddlers focus on a variety of parenting issues, ranging from discipline to feeding. Classes for new fathers help them adjust to life with a new baby and support them to be an active parent.
• Playgroups– Structured activities in program play groups help children improve their social and motor skills. The playgroups also help new parents get to know one another and develop a support system within the military community. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/benefits/new-parent-support-program/