Helping parenting teens graduate
by Greta Bednarczyk and Dale Mezzacappa
There are between 10,000 and 12,000 pregnant teens in Philadelphia, and more than two-thirds of them drop out of high school. Through a Pregnancy and Parenting Youth Subcommittee, Project U-Turn is trying to target this population and connect young parents with the services and support they need to either stay in school or go back.
“This is so important because we’re talking about two generations,” said Colleen McCauley-Brown of Philadelphia Public Citizens for Children and Youth, a co-convener of the task force with the Maternity Care Coalition. “The research bears out that children born to young parents have a higher rate of not finishing school and are more reliant on public assistance.”
McCauley-Brown said the group is investigating how to find pregnant and parenting youth who have left school and researching best practices elsewhere for helping them get back to school and stay there.
Right now, the group is trying to raise money for a marketing campaign that would put posters in health clinics. McCauley-Brown said that most pregnant teens – 92 percent – do get prenatal care.
“We want to go to where they are,” she said. In addition, they are working on getting health providers to ask teens about their school status. “We’re trying to find the girls who have left.”
A larger goal is to bring together all the city agencies that serve or advocate for the needs of pregnant teens to focus more on their educational as well as health and welfare needs and build closer partnerships with the schools.
McCauley-Brown said the group is not yet ready to make a recommendation about best practices in other districts that might be adopted here. So far, research has shown that there are many different models, including those with child care on site, those that provide transitional education and care and then facilitate transfer back to a regular high school, and longer-term alternative schools.
Right now, the biggest program for pregnant and parenting teens who are still in school is the Education Leading to Employment and Career Training/Cradle to Classroom (ELECT/CTC) program, which operates in 25 of Philadelphia’s 60 high schools.
ELECT/CTC has staff in each school and works with both male and female students who are parents or expectant parents. They attend seminars on topics ranging from parenting skills to nutrition to resume-writing, and get help to connect with resources including child care and transportation.
“Finding child care is often a major barrier [against] teen parents staying in school,” said Richard Floyd, vice-president of Communities in Schools of Philadelphia.
The staff also provides case management for students, and serve as mentors, talking students through personal issues that impact their ability to stay in school, Floyd said.
Kia Joynes, who now works for ELECT, credits the program with keeping her in school. It helped connect her to a neighborhood child care center where she could drop off her son in the morning and still make it to school on time without burdening her grandmother, she said.
Donnell Sykes said this one-on-one relationship was an important part of his experience in ELECT/CTC. His mentor quickly became a father figure, he said, someone he “always had access to, some who would give me the best advice.”
Comments (12)
Submitted by Christina (not verified) on Fri, 03/06/2009 - 20:58.
As a high school teacher and mother myself, I would argue for creative, on site child care that engages teenage mothers in the work of mothering as education. It seems inane and absurd that the on site child care centers were taken away from many Philadelphia high schools. Baby College, Three Year Old Journey, and the early childhood work in the Harlem Children's Zone seem to be great ideas for Philadelphia schools and our young mothers. I would also advocate for a strong, cohesive home schooling component. Attachment parenting theories aren't just for the rich... Mothers learn so much every day, and if we can make that process transparent and conscious in the education of our teenage mothers we would see tremendous re-engagement in schools and schooling. I would also argue strongly for a clear role for the mother's partner (the father of the baby, a close friend, an aunt or cousin) as we envision/revision what schooling could look like for our young mothers.
Submitted by anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/18/2009 - 22:50.
I heard candidate Seth Williams...a decent man running for DA...say to Chuck Williams...at a forum in the Penn area...two weeks ago...that "teachers and teachers' aides need to be the disciplinarians in the classroom..."
I almost chocked on my Smart Water...as I was taking a sip...
Is Seth aware of conditions in Philly?
Someone needs to straighten out this fellow...my belief...is that the job of teachers is to teach...that is why they have disciplinarians...
Anyone agree?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/04/2009 - 20:58.
You HAVE to read the book The Lost Daughter by Daralyse Lyons!!! It so hits on all of this...
Submitted by troubled teens (not verified) on Tue, 04/07/2009 - 04:38.
Troubled teenagers need to be treated in a specific environment, so that they can learn new life skills under professionals guidance. There are various troubled teen schools around US with enough experience in helping troubled teens to responsible individuals.
Submitted by Jenna (not verified) on Mon, 05/18/2009 - 22:46.
I support your programs. This is a great move to help the young teen parents to strive and be successful. Because this parenting teens need much support from their family and of course the community. In my area, we don't have such programs as of the moment.
Submitted by EnoughIsEnuff!!! (not verified) on Tue, 05/19/2009 - 22:10.
Maybe Seth ought to try teaching in a school district where the administration does little to maintain the very rules they make. Is he aware that we haven't had aides teachers aides in years? Sounds like another clueless Philadelphian. That's the type of DA I want in charge. What does he think happens to teachers who even dare to break up a fight?
Submitted by Right Place for Struggling Teens and Parents Help (not verified) on Wed, 05/20/2009 - 05:23.
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Submitted by benjamin on Sat, 06/06/2009 - 15:19.
I am highly supportive of the any such program that can be developed to help teens, and even community involvement is also necessary. Also for the teenagers who are close to such teens must be supportive and speak in larger perspective of the problems they face. Also, parents of troubled teens use sources or even through Parenting Troubled Teens Forums to communicate with other parents of teens, to get better understanding & perspective view of the problems teenagers face.
Submitted by Kaira (not verified) on Sun, 09/20/2009 - 14:47.
Great step for parenting teens.
Submitted by deepersan (not verified) on Sun, 03/13/2011 - 07:40.
This is the great step to help the teen mothers. This kind of programs can help the upcoming teen mothers. In this stage, they need more support and love. Besides it, we should also give them the good education about being the mother in the early age. I have seen many teen mothers, and they use drugs because of, not getting proper care and love. So, we should not hatred them. I have helped some teen mothers by doing the drug treatment in the drug rehab center. So, I would like to suggest all the guys to help them.
Submitted by kellyhall (not verified) on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 04:36.
Parents who have daughters who become pregnant during their teenage years often initially go through a difficult time accepting what happened. Parenting teens will not be effective without consistency. Be consistent in enforcing rules, spending time with your teen, and in showing your love to them.
It is important to find the right program that will help your teen to get through with this situation and every additional consideration should always come second.
Submitted by kellyhall (not verified) on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 04:38.
Parents who have daughters who become pregnant during their teenage years often initially go through a difficult time accepting what happened. Parenting teens will not be effective without consistency. Be consistent in enforcing rules, spending time with your teen, and in showing your love to them.
It is important to find the right program that will help your teen to get through with this situation and every additional consideration should always come second.
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