Parenting always a new challenge

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class John D. Strong II
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE --  Parenting and pregnancy while on active duty has been described as a lot of things --easy is not one of them. However with the New Parent Support Program sponsored by family advocacy and it helps make things a little easier.

The New Parent Support Program began as the First Time Parents Program and was formulated in the late 1980's; the program was at only tested at a few Air Force bases.

In the 1990's the First Time Parents Program evolved and expanded to more bases and the name was changed to the New Parent Support Program. Now the New Parent Support Program is located at every Air Force Base and is Department of Defense wide.

The New Parent Support Program is a totally free three month program that offers an array of different services broken down into trimesters.

The prenatal services include home visitation, prenatal education classes, breastfeeding prep, getting ready for baby class, parenting skills training (basic training for moms and dads) and home nursery safety checks.

The postpartum services includes home visitation, breastfeeding support, a coping with postpartum class and basic training classes for moms and dads.

"The classes provided in the New Parent Support Program can be tailored to fit the individuals schedule because we understand that mom and dad have work, school and other things on their schedules," said Ms. Maggie Clark of the 49th Medical Support Squadron and Director of the Parent Support Program.

The New Parent Support Program can individualize the classes into a one month program as opposed to the full three month program for the members that are about to have their partners deploy said Ms. Clark

Ms. Clark said they have to contact other bases quite often to work with partners at those locations.

"We contact training bases like Sheppard and Lackland Air Force Base quite frequently because a lot of airmen come from technical school and their partner will remain there, so we have to work around the distance," she said.

The New Parent Support Program does home visitation not only to help baby proof a house for newborns, toddlers and young children, but also to keep bed ridden parents in the program on track with the rest of the class.

The New Parent Support Program also teams up with Zia Therapy (contracted through Tri-Care so its free) to help diagnose illnesses or complications with children in the program, and can catch and treat these problems earlier as opposed to later in life where it may be to late said Ms. Clark.

Change of location happens often in the military, and families already in a New Parent Support Program at their current base may worry about what will happen when they arrive at their new base.

"When families are participating in a New Parent Support Program at another base we're contacted by a family advocacy nurse from that base to let us know that family is coming and would like to continue their program here at Holloman," said Ms. Clark.

Ms. Adrienne Libke of the 49th Medical Support Squadron said, "In addition to the learning experience that the class provides to new parents they can also use the program to meet and learn things from other parents. There are people who already have children who children come to the class and there are new parents who come to classes and it creates great interactions, which result in good friendships," she said.

"One of our most valuable assets we have are our children, we want to do the best for them all the time but parenting is a learning process," said Ms. Clark. "We tend to learn more from our mistakes as opposed to what we do right, but it's nice to at least have a base line of where to start and this program gives parents that opportunity."