Young Parenthood in California

June 21, 2022Blog

IMPACTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY AND YOUNG PARENTHOOD

Young parenthood in California

In 2020, the expected number of pregnant and parenting teens and young women in California could fill both San Jose State and San Francisco State University campuses – but without support, less than 38% of these young women will finish high school, let alone college.

There are expected to be 62,405 pregnant and parenting young women under the age of 22 in 2020 in California (California Department of Health). This is equal to the entire student populations at San Jose State AND San Francisco State  (https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/about-the-csu/facts-about-the-csu/enrollment). Without support, less than 24,000 of these young mothers will graduate high school and less than 2,000 will complete college by age 30.

Why resources for young families are imperative

Pregnancy at a young age diverts a mother’s/family’s resources to caring for a child. Young mothers choose to sacrifice what little opportunities/resources they may have to meet their child’s basic needs, including their high school education and dreams of going to college. In many cases, they do not know what resources are available to them and they do not have a strong community to shoulder the burden of the sacrifices (leaving school, working multiple jobs) they are making for their child. 

Teen Success is the resource and support system they need to reimagine their life with their children. When young families are supported with access and connections to opportunities, they are able to break the cycle of poverty.

Teen pregnancy disproportionately affects young women of color. 2 out of 3 three babies born to teens in California are born to Latinas (National Center for Health Statistics) and low-income teens make up 83% of teens who give birth (California Research Bureau). While the overall teen pregnancy rate in the United States has dropped, there remain communities and neighborhoods where teen pregnancy rates remain high. These are predominantly under-resourced communities of color.

The young women Teen Success, Inc. works with come from low-income communities. 94% of them are women of color and many are from immigrant families. In addition to the challenges and stigma associated with being a young mother, Teen Success, Inc. members are faced with further complexities including housing instability; limited access to healthcare and reproductive health information; emotional and physical violence in their homes, relationships and communities; lack of access to affordable childcare; and racism and discrimination.

EDUCATION IS THE KEY

Research shows teen mothers who are able to remain connected to their high schools have better long-term economic outcomes for their families, and their children have better behavioral, social, and academic development. Teen Success, Inc. helps its members stay engaged in school, graduate, and persist through post-secondary education.
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Education is Teen Success, Inc.’s highest priority for teen moms because it is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Studies show that when a mother attains higher levels of education, the better her children’s educational outcomes will be.

(Source: National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “Why It Matters: Teen Pregnancy and Education,” March 2010.)

IMPROVING FUTURES FOR YOUNG FAMILIES

Teen Success, Inc. empowers young women who become mothers in their teens to achieve their full potential in school and as parents, so two generations thrive. We believe that education is the key to maximizing each young woman’s potential and making our communities strong. We know that when young mothers are given the right supports and access to opportunities, their families, our neighborhoods, and entire communities are strengthened.

Our two-generation approach involves partnering with young mothers to heal trauma, build skills and a growth mindset, and address the barriers they face to being successful in school and in life. We support young mothers in finding solutions to challenges in order to achieve the following goals:

• Complete high school and obtain a post-secondary degree or certificate
• Develop the knowledge and skills to nurture their child’s positive development

With this program, Teen Success, Inc. is creating a pathway out of poverty for two-generations, young mothers and their children. Learn more about the Teen Success, Inc. Program.

by Shine Info

How Do Moms Hear About Teen Success?

September 14, 2021Blog

We often share how one of the services Teen Success, Inc. provides to our participants is access to resources and opportunities as our participants often don’t know what programs are available to them. But then, how do pregnant and parenting young women find out about the Teen Success program in the first place?   Advocates at Teen Success work hard to network and create relationships with local nonprofit, health, and civic community agencies. These relationships are crucial to spread the word about the availability of the program to the young women+ who could benefit from it. Of the participants in the program, 39% are referred by Social Services and schools, and another 12% are referred through a healthcare provider.

Young mothers who are already in the program are important sources for referrals. They become advocates themselves, telling their peers to connect with Teen Success and try out the program. Participants in the program make up 17% of all referral sources. Having a young mom’s stamp of approval is the utmost compliment and the warm invitation to join shows a potential participant that she is not alone in her parenting journey.

We partner with schools and community agencies to host peer learning groups in the community spaces our young families are already at. Doing so make the transitions between life activities easier for moms and their children. It allows Teen Success to have a regular meeting place, space for supplies, and an appropriate extra space for childcare while moms learn together.

Our model and referral structures are built to partner with young families in the areas where they live – we come to them. We work to ensure we are imbedded in the community, from hiring staff who are from the same communities to making sure our program locations are accessible to the young families we work with. This creates a safe space for young women to discuss the challenges they are facing as mothers and students, learn to advocate for themselves, and develop parenting skills so their children can also grow and thrive.
 
We are able to support the young families in our program because of our incredible program partners, including those who provide space for Peer Learning Group, Bring Me a Book who provides free books for all our participants, and the organizations and donors who provide diapers and wipes for our participants, including Help a Mother Out, Fresno County Food Bank,  local community groups like Hands4Hope-Youth Making a Difference in El Dorado Hills, and other caring community members.
 
By partnering with other organizations and imbedding ourselves in the community, we are supporting young families in a way that works best for them. If you or anyone you know serves young women+ who are parents, please tell them about Teen Success. Anyone can get in touch with us via our contact page, agency referral, or self-referral page.

by Danika Kayser

Partnering With Resilient Young Mothers

August 13, 2021Blog

Every month, we have the opportunity to share stories of successes and challenges that our participants face. As well as the individual stories of our participants, we also wanted to share more information on who are the young mothers and children of Teen Success, Inc. as a whole.

The young women in our program are strong, resilient and determined. As well as being mothers, they are students, workers, artists, and social justice activists. Their children range in age from newborns to 8-year-old kids. Our moms want them to succeed at every stage in their life and to share their passion for education.

Young mothers face some of the most significant barriers to success. In addition to the challenges and stigma associated with being a young mom, Teen Success, Inc. participants are faced with further complexities including housing instability; limited access to healthcare and reproductive health information; emotional and physical violence in their homes, relationships and communities; lack of access to affordable childcare; and racism and discrimination.

We serve communities where teen pregnancy rates remain high despite the downward trend across the nation. Young parenthood disproportionately affects young women of color. Although poor and low income teens only make up 40% of the adolescent population, they account for 83% of teens who become young parents.

What Challenges Do Young Mothers Face?

The young women we serve face some of the most significant barriers to success – poverty, childhood trauma, housing instability, family and relationship violence, lack of access to affordable childcare, and the stigma of being a young mom.

Nationally, only 38% of young mothers graduate from high school and less than 3% finish college by age 30. ​Adding to a young mother's challenges are the environmental, social, and systemic factors that make it harder for them to chart a path to the life they envision for themselves and their children.

Partnership With Young Families Leads to Results

Education is the key factor in breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty faced by young families. Teen Success, Inc. partners with young mothers to complete high school and a post-secondary degree that leads to a living wage, and nurture their child’s positive development to ensure the success of the whole family.

The mission of Teen Success, Inc. is to create economic advancement for multiple generations, by partnering with young mothers to further their education, build life and career skills, and nurture their children’s development.

by Danika Kayser