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Family Advocacy Program

The U.S. Army Family Advocacy Program (FAP) helps Soldiers and Families recognize and meet the unique challenges of military lifestyles. Our services include seminars, workshops, counseling, and intervention to help strengthen Army Families, enhance resiliency and relationship skills, and improve quality of life.

We are also dedicated to helping Soldiers and Families with the complex challenges related to domestic abuse, child abuse, and neglect. We focus on prevention, education, prompt reporting, investigation, intervention, and treatment.

If you need help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at + 1(800)799-7233. You should also contact your installation’s Family Advocacy Program for more information.

Our additional programs within the Family Advocacy Program help with specific needs:

New Parent Support Program (NPSP): Expecting parents and parents with children ages 0-3 have special challenges, and NPSP has tools to meet them. Programs including home visits and parenting classes help caregivers learn to cope with stress, isolation, deployments, reunions, and the everyday demands of parenthood.

 

Transitional Compensation (TC) Program for Abused Dependents: Under a congressionally mandated program, abused dependents of military personnel may be eligible for up to three years of benefits and entitlements, including temporary financial compensation, medical care, and commissary and exchange privileges.

 

Victim Advocacy Program (VAP): Victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse have round-the-clock access to services, including emergency assistance, information, referrals, and ongoing support in accessing medical, behavioral health, legal, and law enforcement services on and off garrisons. Victim Advocates will discuss the option of restricted and unrestricted reports.

 

Seminars and Workshops

Seminars and workshops are available to you, your unit, or your Family support group. Topics may include:

  • Command and Troop Education
  • Community Awareness
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Couples Communication Skills
  • Stress Management
  • Prevention Programs and Services
  • New Parent Support Program
  • Parent Education
  • Domestic Violence Prevention
  • Victim Advocate Program
  • Relationship Support
  • Safety Education
  • Respite Care Program
  • Emergency Placement Care Program
  • Reporting Procedures

 

Contact your installation’s Army Community Service (ACS) Family Advocacy Program for more information.

 

You can also call Military OneSource for more information and referrals.

Classes for Parents

ScreamFree Parenting Your Teenagers

ScreamFree Parenting Your Teenagers- Parenting Your Teenagers is geared towards parents of pre-teens and up. “Let’s stop raising kids and start launching our teens into adulthood” will be the main topic for this class. Parenting your Teenagers examines the dynamics at play in the home during the often challenging teenage years. Calming our own reactions and helping prepare teenagers for their ever-expanding kingdom is the best possible way to launch our teens into the type of adulthood we want for them.

Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun (Ages 0-6)

Provides parents with the opportunity to gain practical and proven tools for raising respectful, responsible, and happy kids! (3 part class)

Becoming a Love and Logic Parent (Ages 6+)

Teaches parents how to hold their kids accountable by “locking in our empathy, love, and understanding” prior to providing consequences when disciplining children.” When done on a regular basis, children develop an internal voice that says, “I wonder how much pain I’m going to cause for myself with my next decision.” (3 part class)

Infant Care

Parents will learn the basics of newborn care including bathing, diapering, cord care, nutrition, feeding, infant safety, understanding newborn behavior, and growth and development. Meets once a month.

Single Parenting

Single parenthood brings its own unique concerns. Topics such as: self care, co-parenting, networking, and safe dating are addressed during this course to assist you with your parenting needs.

Daddy Bootcamp

This class educates new and expectant fathers on parental role and responsibilities and helps to develop strategies to adapt and cope with a new baby. Some topics covered include: an introduction to pregnancy and lifestyle changes, basic infant care and bonding for dads, coping strategies for crying infants and small children, and effective strategies for helping mom and baby.

Play Mornings (Play Mornings will temporarily close on May 31)

This is an interactive parent and tot playgroup designed to teach parents developmentally appropriate play and to help children improve their social, cognitive, and motor skills. Play groups are every Tuesday and Thursday from 1015-1130 at the Middle School & Teen Center Gym, Bldg. 1315, off Normandy. Class is open to the entire Fort Irwin Community. No CYSS registration needed.

Total Mom

Participants meet once per week for 10 weeks. Each week we experience another aspect of you. Learn how to be a Healthy Mom, Confident Mom, Beautiful Mom, Cool Mom and so much more. Make new friends, share experiences and have fun!

 

Classes for Marriages

ScreamFree Marriage

Marriage is difficult. And it is naturally filled with conflict. ScreamFree Marriage is about challenging your previous notions about what your marriage should be and learning to appreciate all that it is right now, and all that it could be in the future. ScreamFree Marriage is not about “fighting fair” or “meeting one another’s needs” or “becoming more compatible.” A ScreamFree marriage begins with calming your own anxiety and focusing on individual self-respect. This course encourages you to champion your own personal growth as the key to intimacy. (3 Part class)

Five Love Languages

The Five Love Languages discusses relationships between couples. All people express their love for one another in various ways and it is essential for couples to identify how they communicate their love to one another so that they are able to improve upon their relationship.

Anger & Stress Management

Designed to help individuals learn to recognize, understand, and manage their anger and stress appropriately. Participants will gain tools and techniques for managing their anger and stress by identifying triggers, learning the ABC’s of Anger and Stress Management and finding ways of keeping anger and conflict in their lives healthy and productive. The course helps participants understand what causes anger & stress and the problems that can result if they are unable to control it. (3 part class)

 

Self Development Classes

Anger & Stress Management

Designed to help individuals learn to recognize, understand, and manage their anger and stress appropriately. Participants will gain tools and techniques for managing their anger andstress by identifying triggers, learning the ABC’s of Anger and Stress Management and finding ways of keeping anger and conflict in their lives healthy and productive. The course helps participants understand what causes anger & stress and the problems that can result if they are unable to control it. (3 part class)

 

Child Abuse Prevention & Reporting

Children are our future and as citizens we have an enormous responsibility to ensure their safety and well-being. Preventing child abuse means setting the stage for healthy and stable families who have the skills needed to nurture their children.


The Family Advocacy Program has a variety of resources available to provide parents with support, information and services they need for success. Prevention programs such as the New Parent Support Program, Self-development and Parenting Courses are available.


If you suspect a child is being abused, it is everyone’s responsibility to make a report. Child Abuse can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or neglect.

To report child abuse, please contact:

Fort Irwin Military Police (Reporting Point of Contact)
+1 (760)380-4444

San Bernardino Child Abuse Hotline
+1 (800)422-4453

For questions related to child abuse, please call:
Social Work Services
+1 (760)380-6302

Family Advocacy Program Manager
+1 (760)380-5467

Domestic Violence

Fort Irwin is committed to having a safe, family-friendly community. Unfortunately, domestic violence can and does occur in the form of physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse. No one deserves this kind of treatment.

Through the Family Advocacy Program, victim advocates are available to assist victims with safety planning, protection orders, court accompaniment, safety moves, and transitional compensation if eligible. Our goal is to empower victims to make the choices that are right for them. Two reporting options are available: Restricted, which is confidential but can still meet many survivors’ needs; and Unrestricted, with involves Command notification and law enforcement investigation.

Advocates are available 24/7. If you are a victim, we encourage you to take the first step toward healing by calling our confidential Hotline at the number below. We are always here for you.

Victim advocates are also available for Troop Trainings to provide prevention education to soldiers.

Contact Us:
Domestic Violence Victim Advocacy
24/7 Crisis Response
+1 (760)267-6792

During Normal Business Hours
+1 (760)380-2407 or +1 (760)380-2409

New Parent Support Program

Who we are:
We are a FREE voluntary program designed to assist and support military families with the challenges of having a new infant. This program services expecting parents and families with children from birth to age three.

What we do:
The New Parent Support Program at Fort Irwin consists of Registered Nurses who provide caring and supportive services to military families. We have many standard services geared toward developmental growth and understanding. The free services include parent-tot play mornings, parenting classes, and resource referral. In addition we offer in-home visitation with parenting education and support opportunities.

Having a baby here on Fort Irwin? The New Parent Support Program would like to welcome your new additional by visiting you and your baby with a “Welcome Home Baby Basket” after returning home. This basket includes basic baby care items as well as great information about our program and other useful parenting information.

How to contact us:
If you have any questions, please give us a call at 760-380-4021.
Again, we would like to welcome you and your little one, and look forward to serving and supporting you, working together to support your growing family.

Contact your installation’s Army Community Service (ACS) Family Advocacy Program for more information. You can also call Military OneSource for more information and referrals (CONUS: +1 (800)342-9647; OCONUS: +00 (800)3429-6477; To call collect with operator assistance OCONUS: +1 (484)530-5908

Victim Advocacy Program

Victim Advocacy Program (VAP): Provides comprehensive support to victims of domestic abuse, including crisis intervention, safety planning, and help to secure medical treatment for injuries, information on legal rights and proceedings, referral to military and civilian shelters, and other resources. Victim Advocacy services are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

The Natick Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at +1 (508)958-1506.  The National DV Hotline is also available at +1 (800)799-7233.  Touch tone users should dial 1-800-787-3224.