Close to three quarters of a million girls and young women become mothers
every year in the United States. Adolescent parents face multiple challenges that make
parenting at a young age a difficult endeavor. The research question for this study was: What
can be learned from professionals who work with low-income adolescent parents about
educating and supporting those parents?
A group of 21 professionals consisting of public health and school nurses, parent
educators, social workers, and those working with young fathers participated in focus groups
and completed follow-up questionnaires and interviews (written, phone, or in person) on the
topic of educating and supporting adolescent parents. Additionally, the researcher and her
colleague, one as a parent educator and teen program coordinator, and the other, a case
manager for a teen parent-program, offered their perspectives of working in teen parentprograms.
The themes that emerged from the focus group participants were: (a) adolescents
are still maturing cognitively and emotionally and this affects their decision-making ability and their capacity to parent, (b) adolescent parents face many challenges, (c) relationships
play a critical role in adolescents' parenting, (d) poverty influences adolescents' ability to be
effective parents, and (e) culture and ethnicity are important considerations when developing
educational programs and support services. Analysis of these themes may offer insight and
information for professionals who provide support and education for low-income teen parents
and for those who create policies and programs for them.
University of Minnesota Ed.D. December 2011. Major:Work, Community, and Family Education. Advisor:Dr. Jane Plihal. 1 computer file (PDF); ix, 132 pages, appendices A-F.
Kjenstad, Laura J..
Lessons learned by professionals: educating and supporting adolescent parents..
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