MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. -- Parents experiencing the joy of a newborn or older child may also discover the stress that may accompany the happy event, but there are specialists at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany who are ready to help.
They will make an old-fashioned house call to provide support for the parents of children six years and younger.
“We’re here to familiarize and acquaint new families with the ins and outs of parenting,” said Jill Harrell, registered nurse, home visitor, New Parent Support Program, Marine and Family Services, Marine Corps Community Services, MCLB Albany. “The main focus of our program is home visitation and we go in and talk about parenting and let people know we have resources available to help.”
Common issues faced by parents include potty training, sibling rivalry, breast feeding and others.
“Other parts of our program are parenting classes and a resource library where parents can come in and get a book or a compact disk to look into topics they’d like to know more about,” Harrell said.
Each class of ‘Practical Parenting’, named ‘Ready, Set, Grow,’ meets four times for approximately an hour and a half, and is open to both moms and dads, together or solo.
The NPSP also addresses prenatal care and the home visitors are available for parents before a child arrives.
“We follow the mom’s pregnancy through her trimesters to make sure they are progressing well and they know what to expect,” said Kelly Bozeman, also a registered nurse, home visitor, NPSP. “We help them with things like referrals to pediatricians or, if needed, the state’s Women, Infants and Children Program which provides nutritional needs for pregnant women.”
While services may be available on-base for some needs, the NPSP can refer to outside specialists if necessary.
For additional information on the NPSP, call (229) 639-6257.