Explores the practical and emotional challenges of parenthood. Reminds teen parents not to neglect their own needs as they take responsibility for their child's well-being, provides tips on ensuring that their child's needs are met, and lists special services available. (Author abstract)
This chapter identifies developmental factors associated with positive fathering among 179 young, high-risk fathers who made a better than expected adjustment to parenthood. Results found that despite significant individual and social disadvantages, these fathers developed relational capacities associated with positive parenting. These capacities include a growth-oriented perspective on the co-parenting relationship, a commitment to shared responsibility for taking care of the co-parenting relationship, and a willingness to empathize with their co-parenting partners. Case studies illustrate…
Kyle's brief relationship with Danielle produces a baby--a responsibility Kyle refused to acknowledge. After attending a court-ordered program for young fathers, Kyle begins to see how important it is--to his daughter's development and to his sense of self-worth--that he become a responsible father. (Author abstract)
This booklet helps young men understand that acceptance of the responsibilities and joys of fatherhood is the best choice for all concerned. It addresses reasons some young men think it's okay not to be involved with their child, and offers tips on staying actively involved in a child's development, education, safety, and physical and emotional health. (Author abstract)
This book chapter assesses the consequences of teen parenting for fathers from two perspectives. The first part of the chapter examines the consequences for men of having a child when they or their partners are teenagers. The second part considers the resources potentially available to mothers from their partners and how these resources vary with the age at which a woman becomes a mother. This is accomplished by constructing a profile of the potential support available to a child over the first 18 years of the child's life. Data for this study are taken from the National Longitudinal Study of…
This paper discusses the process for obtaining grant funds, focusing on a specific project that provides support to pregnant and parenting teens. The paper describes events leading up to the award, and the nature of request for proposals (RFP). Grant proposals should cover: a statement of need; methodology; data collection and analysis; evaluation; and budget. The objectives stated in the pregnant adolescent project proposal include: weekly home visits; monthly group meetings; health services for mother and baby; and media campaigns regarding child abuse and adolescent pregnancy prevention.…
This chapter focuses on the construction of risk indices and their use in predicting correlates of child maltreatment by exploring the relationship between the indices and the outcome measures of the Adolescent Parent Services Evaluation. This 3-year evaluation, which began in the fall of 1987, compared seven new parent programs in seven States offering education support services for pregnant and parenting adolescents. A total of 488 adolescents participated in the study. Using a nonequivalent control group design with each site serving as a comparison group for the others, researchers…
Training Materials, Other
This DVD and workshop guide are designed to be used to with young parents or teens who are not yet parents. The DVD features a 28-minute documentary on young fathers and seven teachable moment clips from the film that are 1 to 7 minutes each. The documentary focuses on two young fathers and highlights the needs and circumstances of many low-income fathers, including those who have been involved with the criminal justice system. It addresses the challenges of early parenthood, the role of fathers in their children's lives, the need to build solid co-parenting relationships, and attitudes about…
Other
The Rochester Youth Development Study and the Pittsburgh Youth Study examined risk factors for teenage paternity, specifically the role of delinquency in early fatherhood. Both studies concluded that early delinquency is a highly significant risk factor for becoming a teen father. In addition, the Rochester study reported that the possibility of teen paternity rises dramatically as risk factors accumulate, and the Pittsburgh study found that teen fatherhood may be followed by greater involvement in delinquency. (Author abstract, modified).
This text explores a broad range of perspectives on pregnancy and parenting at a young age from different international and cultural contexts, and looks at interventions and examples of good practice. Following an introduction, Chapter 1 provides statistics on teenage pregnancy and motherhood in the United Kingdom and other European countries, considers societal definitions of age, and discusses conceptualizations of sexuality, reproduction, and motherhood. Chapter 2 considers the Hmong in the United States as a community experiencing dramatic change while attempting to maintain its values,…
