Families seeking assistance in raising newborns and infants should consider using the Army Community Services' New Parent Support Program.

The New Parent Support program is a professional team of nurses and social workers who help Families learn new skills and improve current abilities.

Employees within the service offer participating parents prenatal care tips, advice in improving their children's behavior, and socializing opportunities with Families around post, among other resources.

The program is open to active-duty servicemembers, Reservists, retirees and dependents of retirees with children 3 years old or younger. New parents and parents with more than one child can use the service.

"We provide support and education to military Families," said Pamela Hirsch, New Parent Support Program, home visitor. "The main purpose is to help reduce the risk of abuse and neglect ... so we want to get in there and provide support and education when Families need it instead of waiting until a crisis happens."

NPSP is designed to strengthen parents' knowledge and skills to help them provide environments where their children can thrive. Belvoir's program offers numerous classes and resources to help Families. One course is the Infant Massage Class where participants learn different infant massage strokes and the importance of communicating with their child.

"An infant needs that touch and interaction," said Sonja Foots, New Parent Support Program, home visitor. "It helps them with their language development and their social skills. It's very beneficial for Families and it's just another way for them to connect and bond with their babies."

Another NPSP course is the Dads 101 class for current and expecting fathers. The course prepares men to be supportive partners and teaches them the importance of being a good parent.

"Most of the parents just need that support and education because sometimes it's overwhelming," Hirsch said.

As home visitors, Foots and Hirsch provide customized support and education through home visitation.

The visitors provide parents tips for helping children through potty training and temper tantrums. They also provide insight in improving the safety within the home. Foots said she and Hirsch attempt to visit homes at least twice a month.

"We help (parents) in the privacy of their own home," Foots said.

Hirsch said another benefit of the program is the socializing opportunities for parents. The classes provide Families with chances to meet people on post, which the home visitors say develop a stronger support system for parents as they raise their children.

"Our role is to help improve the parents, because a lot of our population doesn't have the support system here, so they don't have the mothers, the aunts, uncles and cousins to help them," Foots said. "We're an extension of the community for them and we connect them with the support system through the various activities."

For more information, call (703) 805-2693 or visit the Army Community Service facility in Building 200, 9800 Belvoir Road.