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Teen ParentsOvercoming Educational
Barriers
Teen Parent Connection
Today’s Highlights
Overview-The Scope and Issues of Teen Pregnancy
Teen Pregnancy and Education Impact on Children of Teen Parents Challenges of Educating Teen Moms High School College System of Care Model Prevention Research and Resources
Teen Pregnancy-the Scope Georgia ranks 13th highest in the nation in teen births. We rank 4th highest
in subsequent birth rates for teens Girls in foster care make up the majority of those teenage pregnancies Nationally, by age 19, 50% of girls in foster care report having been
pregnant, a birth rate for foster teens of 31.6% vs. the non-foster teen birth rate of 12.2%.
Children of teen mothers are more likely to experience abuse and neglect
and will eventually be placed in foster care. Children of teen mothers are more likely to experience academic failure,
early childbearing and delinquency. Less than 40% of teen moms will complete high school and of those who
do not graduate, the poverty rate is a staggering 78%.
The Scope-continued Teen mothers are less likely to marry or become self-supporting
Despite dropping teen pregnancy rates, support services are in high demand: Teen Parent Connection served 158 teen parents in care in 2013
Children in foster care have experienced:
Astoundingly high levels of abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation and molestation
Mental disorders
Educational barriers
Lack of access to life skills developmental opportunities. These factors coupled with the above statistics on teen parents create
conditions ripe for parenting failures and the continuation of cycles of abuse, neglect, educational failures, lifelong health problems and desperate poverty
Teen Pregnancy and Education
About half of teen Moms have a high school diploma as compared to 90% of women who didn’t have a teen birth
Parenthood is the leading cause of school drop out among teen girls
Less than 2% of teen mothers attain a college degree by age 30
Children of Teen MothersThe issue reaches beyond the young mothers:
Children of teen mothers are more likely to drop out of school
Children of teen mothers do not perform as well as children of older mothers on measures of child development and school readiness
They are more likely to perform lower on measures of cognition, language, communication and interpersonal skills
They are more likely to repeat a grade Less likely to complete high school Have lower performance on standardized tests
Challenges for Providing Quality Education to Parenting Students
Teen parents are invisible within the school system-oftentimes they are not identified in school records
Few school districts accurately estimate the number of teen parents who might be enrolled in a separate program
Many pregnant and parenting teens have significant educational deficiencies
Only a fraction of teen parents are served by separate stand alone programs
Teens in care experience placement disruptions resulting in multiple school changes
Helping the System Work One solution is to place teen parents in stand-alone or
alternative programs
These are designed to provide the special support that teen parents need
Very often however, stand alone programs cannot offer the educational options comparable to those offered in comprehensive high schools
Title IX protects teen parents from discrimination and from automatic placement in separate programs unless those programs offer comparable educational experiences available to all students
System Solutions Systems must identify the need for specialized
services for teen parents within each school in their system-this number is often underestimated
Knowing the need stimulates the placement of support services for teens in comprehensive high schools rather than placing them in stand alone alternative programs
Providing these services within the mainstream is less costly than stand alone programs that are limited in scope
Expanded Services at School On site case management
On site child care or links to nested family child care
Health services
Addressing educational deficiencies Computerized instruction Individual education plans Competency based approaches Increased access to a broader array of
educational services
Policy Recommendations Attendance policies can be created that do not penalize
teens who have given birth by treating absences as they do for medical conditions and allowing for home credits
Protections afforded by Title IX need to be broadly publicized and understood
School districts should have centralized responsibility for the development and implementation of policies to support the educational success of teen parents
Develop and implement alternative instruction methodology for at-risk students
Policy Recommendations Con’t Balance resources and priorities between
enhanced services for teen parents within comprehensive schools and stand alone programs
Increase pregnancy prevention strategies and dropout prevention resources
Replication packages should be readily available to all schools for all at-risk students
Tailor models to students with attendance issues and other personal problems
Balance push for high school graduation with realistic assessment of options for GED completion
How Can Colleges Help? Recruit young parents-encourage college
attendance
Provide as much financial aid as possible Include help beyond books and tuition—
transportation, meal passes, childcare, housing, etc.
Assist with childcare-support a childcare on campus for students or provide vouchers, assistance with CAPs
Support teen parents with support groups, help with service access and specialized classes to help balance school, work and parenting
College Help Help with housing-subsidized housing or
affordable family housing on campus
Offer a variety of class options Online classes Hybrid classes-online + classroom Satellite campuses
Don’t underestimate or pity teen parents College is usually not the biggest obstacle they
have faced and they are determined and focused
They need opportunity and resources
Offer specialized services for youth in care
Models for Teen Parents in Care Programs such as Teen Parent Connection provide
comprehensive support for pregnant and parenting teens including:
Parenting skills development Life skills support Access to quality child care Health care support Educational support including tutoring and
mentoring programs, resource identification, links to financial aid and support services
By thinking "child first", services and programs are developed and utilized in a more meaningful and effective manner
System of Care Model The old model of seeing what resources are available
and then picking one that might - or might not - be a good fit for the youth and family clearly is not the best solution
The system of care approach allows for integrated, seamless service delivery for children and their families in their community, while promoting collaboration, shared decision making and accountability among partners
The system promotes collaboration, not competition to bring specialized services tailored to the unique needs of each client
Outcomes from our Model Evaluation of teens participating in Teen Parent Connection
and other teen parent focused programs show an increase in:
High school graduation rates and GED attainment
Employability
Enrollment in advanced education
Child support
Reunification with their children
Stable housing
Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Educational Attainment
As noted, teen pregnancy often has a negative impact on education
However, school achievement, attendance and involvement help reduce the risk of teen pregnancy
Staying in school and getting an education helps prevent teen pregnancy
Teens who have dropped out of school are more likely than their peer to get pregnant
Teens who are more involved in school are less likely than those not as engaged to get pregnant
School Engagement Important aspects of school engagement
Grades Test scores Class participation Homework completion
A perception of support and connectedness with teachers and administrators
Planning to attend college after high school is also associated with a lower risk of teen pregnancy
Research and Resources
Center for Assessment and Policy Development
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Hoffman S.D. By the Numbers: The Public Cost
of Adolescent Childbearing, Washington DC Perper, K. Peterson, K. & Manlove J. Diploma
Attachment Among Teen Mothers, Child Trends, Fact Sheet, Washington DC
Kirby, D. The Impact of Schools and School Programs upon Adolescent Sexual Behavior. The Journal of Sex Research
More Resources
TeenPregnancy.org Holz, J, McElroy, S & Sanders, S. Teenage
Childbearing and Its Life Cycle Consequences, Journal of Human Resources
Sadler, L. Promising Outcomes in Teen Mothers Enrolled in School-Based Parent Support Program and Child Care, Journal of School Health
Cooley, M. The Role of Family Support in Determining Developmental Outcomes in Children of Teen Mothers, Child Psychiatry and Human Development
For more information
Teen Parent Connection Molly Casey, Teen Parent Connection Administrator [email protected] 678.467.8129 or 404.880.9323
Carisma Harper, Teen Parent Connection Program Director [email protected] or 404.717.3307
Together we can help teen parents succeed and raise healthy, safe and educated children
Multi-Agency Alliance for Children, Inc.
