Program, provides expectant moms with helpful tools Published Nov. 3, 2008 By Tech. Sgt. Rey Ramon 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Expectant parents can plan months ahead before the arrival of a new member in the family. Yet with all the preparation, it can still be overwhelming. Parents should know that there is support available through Kadena's New Parent Program. The New Parent Program is geared toward families that have questions from the beginning stages of pregnancy until the child is age 3. They can be first time parents or families with multiple kids. "We take our program to our clients," said Brenda Perry, a 20-year Registered Nurse from the 18th Medical Group. "Educational resources are provided for them, so if they have any questions about labor and delivery, breast feeding, growth and development for their child, we take that information to them." Mrs. Perry and Annette Cormier, a Family Advocacy nurse, are professional nurses who have a maternal child nursing background. Both agree the New Parent Program helps parents learn new skills and better understand child development with the end goal of making them more capable parents. . "We try to give parents tools they can use that maybe they didn't learn from their parents and we try to point them in the right direction," Mrs. Perry said. Each visit is driven by the specific questions one family has which can range from child development to post-partum depression. "We are a prevention service," said Mrs. Cormier. "So our whole goal is to prevent any kind of maltreatment and give parents the tools they need to interact with their children and their spouse." The nurses also look for development of the child such as speech impediments. They offer referrals to treatment managers for early intervention. To learn more about the program call 634-0433.