Teen Success, Inc. is building pathways to prosperity for two-generations, young mothers and their children.
As young women of color, Teen Success, Inc. participants experience limited access to healthcare and reproductive health information; trauma in their homes, relationships, and communities; lack of access to safe, affordable childcare and stable housing; all while facing the stigma of having a child in their teens. These factors compound the education gap they are facing.
The number one reason girls drop out of high school is pregnancy. In the United States, only 38% of teen mothers ever graduate high school, and less than 2% of young mothers graduate college by age 30.
There are expected to be over 62,000 pregnant and parenting young women under the age of 22 in California.
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.
Despite the downward trend of teen pregnancy in the United States over the last decade, there are communities across the U.S. where teen pregnancy rates remain high.
These are under-resourced, low-income communities.
Of Teen Success, Inc.’s participants: 94% are women of color and 96% are living in poverty. Young women of color from low-income backgrounds are disproportionately affected by teen pregnancy. They face a cycle of poverty and young parenthood that clings on generation after generation.
Teen Success, Inc.’s two-generational program model works to break the cycle of poverty.
For low-income students, navigating barriers to education alone is hard; and for young mothers, remaining engaged in school becomes harder. They face shaming from educators, punitive absence policies, and a lack of support for moms who breastfeed.
As part of Teen Success, Inc.’s intensive, research-based approach, young mothers receive the supports and the education they need in four key areas to create thriving futures for their families, including:
- Educational Navigation: Planning & Achieving Educational Goals and Mitigating Barriers
- Health and Wellness: Connection to Physical, Reproductive & Health Resources
- Financial Well-being: Financial Literacy & Career Development
- Early Childhood Development: Building Skills and Knowledge to Support Their Child’s Positive Development
Teen Success, Inc. has empowered over 1,500 young families to realize their dreams; over 85% of participants have graduated from high school, and participants spend an average of 16 minutes reading to their children daily to prepare them for their own educational success.
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Learn how to join our movement at www.teensuccess.org and subscribe to our newsletters at www.teensuccess.org/subscribe.
