Publication year
2007
Citation Title
A participant evaluation of the U.S. Navy Parent Support Program
Journal Name
Journal of Family Violence
Journal Volume
22
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
131-139
DOI
10.1007/s10896-007-9062-6
Summary
The U.S. Navy New Parent Support Program (NPSP) aims to improve participants’ parenting skills, reduce their parenting stress, and help the Service Members to concentrate on their jobs. The purpose of the study was to evaluate participants’ perception of NPSP. Results revealed that parents who took part in NPSP were highly satisfied with the program.
Key Findings
The majority of participants (over 90%) reported that the program reduced their parenting stress, improved their parenting skills, and increased their sense of community.
Most participants (91%) also believed that the program enhanced their health, safety, and quality of life.
Approximately three quarters of the participants reported that the program increased their military readiness, and 36% of participants indicated that the program increased their willingness to remain in the military.
Implications for Program Leaders
Organize support groups for new parents so that they can freely talk about child rearing concerns and support each other
Design evidence-based parent education curricula, and make them accessible to military families
Collaborate with civilian parent education programs in order to offer military parents with more options that are useful and accessible
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend professional development courses for professionals about the unique challenges faced by military families with young children
Continue to support parent education programs to increase military parents’ parenting skills, and increase their family well-being in general
Raise awareness about the importance of early childhood education for children’s development
Methods
The NPSP program evaluation surveys were distributed to all experienced program users, which were defined as people who had used the program more than once, or regarded themselves as familiar with the program.
The survey asked questions about customer satisfaction, organization outcomes (e.g., increased concentrated on the jobs), and whether it met its primary objectives (e.g., reduce parenting stress).
Response rate was not indicated in the article.
Participants
The sample included 821 parents who were experienced users of the NPSP program.
Most of the participants were either Active Duty Navy Service members (32%) or spouses of Active Duty Navy Service members (54%).
The gender, race/ethnicity, and average age of the participants were not reported in the article.
Limitations
People who used the program regularly or scarcely may have different perspectives in the program, however, such information was missing in the results.
The program was targeted at parents with young children, however, the average age of the participants’ children was not indicated in the research.
The response rate was not provided in the article, therefore it is unclear what percentage of program users actually completed the survey.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine whether participating in the program frequently will benefit the participants more than participating only once or twice
Investigate what types of participants (e.g., parents’ and children’s ages, family income) benefit the most from the program
Collect longitudinal data to examine the impact of the program over a longer period of time
Focus
Navy
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
This study reports on the results of a program evaluation of the U.S. Navy New Parent Support Program (NPSP). NPSP is comprised of two components: center-based parenting classes and home-based visits. Data are presented on: (a) satisfaction with program quality, (b) how well the program met its primary objectives (e.g., helps reduce parenting stress), (c) how well the NPSP met its Reasons for Being (RFBs; e.g., Helps service members concentrate on their job), and (d) program impact on mission-related outcomes (i.e., quality of life (QOL), readiness, and program impact on their decision to remain in the military). Results indicate that parents who take part in both the parenting classes and home-based visits report that the program exceeded their expectations, the program improved their perceptions of their parenting and coping skills, they perceived that the program demonstrated the Navy’s concern for Sailors and their families, and the program enhanced the family’s quality of life. Implications of study findings are discussed.
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