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Journal Article Paternity and child support can be essential to the family stability of children of unmarried teen mothers. While the number of births to teen mothers decreased between 1970 and 1985 from 656,000 to 477,700, the number of unmarried teen mothers increased from 199,900 to 280,300. This paper presents guidelines for counselors to assist young mothers. Establishing paternity is essential for the emotional health of the child, providing a sense of belonging and family ties with the father's family. Child support is important, even at a minimum if the father is unemployed, to establish a pattern…
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This paper describes the federally funded teenage parent demonstration initiative to address the problems of teenage parenting. Child welfare agencies in Chicago, Illinois, and Camden and Newark, New Jersey, participated in the initiative, providing services that encouraged the self-sufficiency of the parents. The mandatory program was employment-oriented, focusing on education, job training, and working. Transportation and child care assistance was provided, as well as in-house workshops on home management, parenting, health and nutrition, and workplace skills. Lessons learned from the…