Malden High School Teen Parenting Program

Lead: Teen parenting program in high school helps teenage moms balance work, school, and parenting.

Brief Synopsis:
Walk down the halls of Malden High and you will hear the chatter of weekend activities and exam stresses. But go further down the hall and on top of these conversations you will hear talk of diapers and babysitters. Malden has an innovative new program for its teenage mothers, called the Teen Parenting Program, and funded by Catholic Charities. Currently in its fourth year at the high school, the program has already seen many changes in the students. The dropout rate of teen mothers at Malden High School has fallen steadily. The goals of the Malden High School Teen Parenting Program are to help students who are teenage parents become self-sufficient parents, who continue their education and learn good parenting skills. There is an on-site child care center for the children of the teenage mothers, and the teachers in this center provide good role models for the young men and women in the program. The Parenting Program also offers classes that teach parenting skills, nutrition education, time and money management, and community outreach skills. The teachers in the Malden High School Teen Parenting Program work hard to help the participating teenage moms balance the multitude of responsibilities that they have, including school, parenting, and often work. And it seems to be paying off. With the ever-increasing number of students graduating on time, the future looks bright for these teen mothers.

Relevant Program
Malden High School Teen Parenting Program
Kathy Lane, Teen Parenting Program Coordinator
Malden High School
77 Salem Street
Malden, MA 02148
781-397-1556

• The Teen Parenting Program consists of:
• Family Management Class
• Parenting Skills
• Nutrition education
• Time and money management
• Outreach
• On-Site Daycare Administered by Catholic Charities
• Quality daycare while young parents attain high school diploma
• Parent involvement on a daily basis
• Parenting skills instruction and role modeling
• Individual Case Management
• Liaison to human service agencies
• Liaison to school personnel as needed
• Counseling
• Individually as needed
• Weekly group sessions
• Visiting Nurse Association
• Home visits
• Weekly classroom instruction and counseling
• Mentoring Program (collaboration between First Church Congregational, Malden Public Schools, Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A.)
• Trained mentors establish relationships with the young parents on an individual basis.
• Support and guidance provided through relationship
• Children’s Librarian
• Quarterly visits
• Reading encouragement for parent and child
• Book distribution
• Health Quarters
• Quarterly visits
• Discussion of sexuality and related subject

(Compiled from Malden Teen Parenting Program brochure)

Story Contacts:
Kathy Lane
Teen Parenting Program Coordinator
Malden High School
77 Salem Street
Malden, MA 02148
781-397-1557

Diana Maklouf
Teen Parent Daycare Coordinator
Malden High School
77 Salem Street
Malden, MA 02148
781-397-1556

Expert Contacts
Margaret Carels
Alliance for Young Families
105 Chauncy Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 482-9122, ext. 114
Ms. Carels is a lobbyist for teen programs

Saul D. Hoffman, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Delaware
413 Purnell Hall
Newark, DE 19716
Phone: (302) 831-1907
Hoffmans@be.udel.ed
University of Delaware experts online: http://www.udel.edu/experts
Dr. Hoffman is an expert on the socio-economic effects of teen parenting.

Background

Before the Malden Teen Parenting program was instituted, only 2-3 teen parents graduated each year. In its first year at the high school 6 graduated. The following two years they graduated 12 and 5 respectively. (Kathy Lane, Malden High Teen Parenting Program Coordinator)

To date this year there are approximately 955,325 pregnant adolescents. So far this year there were 388,100 babies born to adolescents this year. (Campaign for our Children, Inc., 120 West Fayette Street Suite 1200, Baltimore, MD, 21201, (410) 576-9015, http://www.cfoc.org/pregnancyclock).

Every 26 seconds another adolescent becomes pregnant and every 56 seconds an adolescent gives birth. (Campaign for our Children, Inc., 120 West Fayette Street Suite 1200, Baltimore, MD, 21201, (410) 576-9015, http://www.cfoc.org)

Research by the Department of Labor, the Government Accounting Office, and others, shows that programs that work for disadvantaged teenagers have 2 things in common: They link participants with local employers and then provide comprehensive, intensive support services to help teenagers succeed on the job. In 1993, the Center for Employment Training, a San Jose-based firm regarded as one of the most effective job-training programs in the country, raised the earnings of out-of-school youth by 33%.

In June 1998 the Massachusetts Senate decided to spend an extra $2 million on education and job training services for teenage parents. (The Boston Globe, June 17, 1998, City Edition, OP-ED; pg. A27).

76% of teen mothers are unmarried. 60% are 18-19 years old. Only one-third receives their high school diplomas. Nearly 80% of teen mothers end up on welfare.

Children of teen mothers have low birth weight, are more likely to perform poorly in school, and are at greater risk of abuse and neglect. Sons of teen mothers are 13% more likely to end up in prison. 22% of daughters are more likely to become teen mothers themselves. (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2100 M Street NW, Suite 30, Washington, D.C., 20037, (202)261-5655, www.teenpregnancy.org).

Each year 11% of U.S. teens aged 15-19 and 20% of those who are sexually active became pregnant. The U.S. leads the developed world with twice the teen pregnancies of England, France, and Canada, and nine times those of The Netherlands and Japan.

One-fourth of teen mothers have a second child within two years of the first.

$29 Billion a year of public spending and social costs is spent on teen pregnancy.

Teen mothers are 50% less likely to finish high school. Children of teen mothers are more likely to grow up without critically needed emotional support and cognitive stimulation, resulting in lasting disadvantages. Children of teen mothers repeat twice as many grades and dropout of high school far more often. (Alan Guttmacher Institute and Robin Hood Foundation, The Parenting Project, 5776 Hamilton Way, Boca Raton, FL, 33496, 1-888-Parents, info@parentingproject.org, www.parentingproject.org).

When parents were asked if they were in favor of teaching relationship and parenting preparation skills to children in high school, 88% responded in favor. For children in Middle School, 82% responded in favor, and for children in elementary school 69% responded in favor. (Poll for Lake Snell Perry and Associates, July 29-August 1, 1999, poll taken out of 1,000 American Households. The Parenting Project, 5776 Hamilton Way, Boca Raton, FL, 33496, 1-888-Parents, info@parentingproject.org, www.parentingproject.com)

One recent analysis gives an estimate to the cost of early childbearing as having a $6 to $9 billion impact on federal and state budget, with $15 billion spent on social welfare as a result. (Maynard, 1997, "The costs of adolescent childbearing" In Kids having kids: Economic costs and social consequences of teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press.)

"Teen Dad and Proud of It!" The Boston Parents’ Paper, February 1999

Campaign for our Children, Inc., 120 West Fayette Street Suite 1200, Baltimore, MD, 21201, (410) 576-9015, http://www.cfoc.org/pregnancyclock

Maynard, 1997, "The costs of adolescent childbearing" In Kids having kids: Economic costs and social consequences of teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2100 M Street NW, Suite 30, Washington, D.C., 20037, (202)261-5655, www.teenpregnancy.org

The Parenting Project, Alan Guttmacher Institute and Robin Hood Foundation, 5776 Hamilton Way, Boca Raton, FL, 33496, 1-888-Parents, info@parentingproject.org, www.parentingproject.org

Poll for Lake Snell Perry and Associates, July 29-August 1, 1999, poll taken out of 1,000 American Households. The Parenting Project, 5776 Hamilton Way, Boca Raton, FL, 33496, 1-888-Parents, info@parentingproject.org, www.parentingproject.com