A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Compendium of School-Based and School-Linked Programs for Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents, February 1999

Programs in Public Schools

Tender Loving Care Teen Parenting Program

Mission:

Provide pregnant and parenting teens the opportunity to stay in school, receive a high school diploma, and obtain a marketable job skill through the provision of technology-based education. Provide parenting education, licensed on-site child care, and related support services to meet individual needs.

Profile:

The program, in existence since 1989, offers education and support to pregnant and parenting teens through a school-based program in a rural county area. Each year, the program serves approximately 15 pregnant teens, 40 teen mothers, and 6 teen fathers, students who are white (94 percent) and African-American (6 percent), 13 to 19 years old. On-site child care is provided.

Description of Service Model:

TLC is a comprehensive multidisciplinary program for pregnant and parenting teens. Enrollment is open to all pregnant and parenting teens, enabling these students to remain in school and graduate with a marketable job skill. Education opportunities, parenting education, health monitoring, counseling, and support services provide a basis for each pregnant or parenting teen to become a successful, nurturing parent and a contributing member of society. Success in school enables them to acquire marketable job skills to enter the job market and become self-sufficient.

Educational services and career counseling are geared toward the student receiving a high school diploma. Students may participate in a school-to-work transition program such as a cooperative educational experience or the tech-prep articulation program with Chattanooga State Technical Community College. A GED is available for students needing this option. Each teen parent must participate in a parenting education component for 1 hour daily through the Careers with Children Curriculum.

To encourage parents to stay in school, the program provides licensed, on-site child care. School buses are equipped with seat belts so that children can ride to and from school with their parents. Through collaboration with community agencies, the program is also able to offer other necessary support services. A registered nurse, social worker, and licensed professional counselor are on staff to offer daily assistance, including family planning and pregnancy prevention services.

Evaluation Methods:

Quarterly and annual reports to local and state educational agencies are used to evaluate achievement of program objectives. The primary indicators of success include enrollment and retention rates, graduation rates, placement and employment data, competency evaluations, and pregnancy/repeat pregnancy rates. A follow-up study is done for each program participant, and records are kept on all infants and toddlers for review as needed.

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[Teen Self Help Demonstration Program] [Trisha Obear Teen Learning Center and Maurice Kirby Child Care Center]