Promising Outcomes in Teen Mothers Enrolled in a School‐Based Parent Support Program and Child Care Center

Abstract

For at-risk teen mothers, this parent support program and school-based child care setting appears to offer promising opportunities to help young mothers with parenting, avoid rapid subsequent pregnancies, and stay engaged with school, while their children are cared for in a close and safe environment.

Intervention Now to Eliminate Repeat Unintended Pregnancy in Teenagers (INTERUPT): a systematic review of intervention effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, and qualitative and realist synthesis of implementation factors and user engagement

“…162 Feelings of support and connectedness can increase self-esteem, self-competence and empowerment, which, as stated previously, can in turn lead to greater feelings of control over self, choices and outcomes. Being connected to the intervention, group or others can also have the added benefit of helping to keep mothers on track with the changes they propose to make.…”

“…In the UK, this is currently not an option; however, evidence from the USA demonstrates positive results when interventions are delivered in schools. 97,107,109,162 This approach embeds the intervention in the mother's lives, keeping the focus on education, but also allowing them to have contact with their children during the day. Providing childcare in a school as part of a wider intervention acknowledges the dual role of the adolescent mother; she is still an adolescent who needs to complete her education, but she is a mother who feels responsible for her child and needs to know that they are safe and well cared for while she is attending classes.…”

“…Providing childcare in a school as part of a wider intervention acknowledges the dual role of the adolescent mother; she is still an adolescent who needs to complete her education, but she is a mother who feels responsible for her child and needs to know that they are safe and well cared for while she is attending classes. 162 Situating the intervention in the broader context of the young person also means considering vulnerable and high-risk groups, such as victims of violence. Stakeholders attending a meeting in Shrewsbury stated that sexual exploitation can be a problem, particularly older men targeting vulnerable, looked-after children.…”

“…Policy documents have also highlighted the need to target vulnerable groups and undertake needs assessments in order to provide the support that these adolescents need. 8,142,163 The outcome of 'situating the intervention' within the broader context of the young person's life and taking a wider view of pregnancy in adolescence may lead to a greater potential for 'connectedness' with the intervention, 31,89,162,[164][165][166] the issue 108 and their own context 90 and, therefore, the notion of 'support' may trigger their self-determination and active control. Feeling connected and supported can help an adolescent to feel that their life choices are being encouraged.…”

Community-Based Partnership to Improve Parenting Skills and Academic Achievement and Reduce Subsequent Births

“…Hence, it would be expected that all adolescent females in this study would recognize the importance of delaying subsequent pregnancies, which was supported in the data. Similarly, Sadler et al found that adolescent mothers were more likely to delay subsequent pregnancies and stay engaged in school when they were enrolled in a school-based parent support program [17]. Likewise, Sangalang, Barth, and Painter noted adolescent mothers postponed subsequent births after receipt of case management and direct services from social workers [18].…”