Serving Pregnant Teens in Afterschool Programs

Source: www.azcentral.com

By Sam Piha

Several years ago we partnered with the Long Beach Youth Institute to film a documentary on high school afterschool programs in California, funded by the California ASSETs grant program. (The documentary was titled "Beyond Expectations" and you can view it here.) One of the exemplar and innovative programs we documented was the WRAP program at Jordan High School in Long Beach, California, which was led by Candace Meehan. (The WRAP Program ran for over 10 years but is no longer operating.)

Source: Temescal Associates

One of the things we were impressed by was their program component for pregnant teens and new teen parents. We realized that high school afterschool programs are well positioned to offer special programming to address the needs of pregnant teens. We wanted to learn more. Below is an interview with Candace Meehan.

Q: You were breaking new ground in serving pregnant teens. Why did you start this program?
A: I personally was a teen mother who dropped out of high school in 11th grade and had a child with special needs when I was 17 years old, but managed to continue on to college and get my AA Degree in Human Services, BA Degree in Sociology and Masters Degree with P.P.S. Credential in Counseling.

There was a huge need at our school and in our community (my experience in recently going to a free clinic – there were tons of young girls in there!!!!! TONS).

Also, prevention vs intervention programs and resources for pregnant teens were dwindling.

Q: How were teens recruited and how long did they stay within your program? 
A: I worked with the school nurse to identify the teens and I would put flyers and posters up and in the teachers’ mailboxes. I also would email the counseling team and would have student leaders put out the word.

After identifying the potential teens, I met with them, one-on-one with each person. I would lead an orientation type meeting to get them interested making sure to highlight all of the incentives (what’s in it for them?).

Q: Did you use any incentives to get teens to attend?
A: For each meeting the teens attended they would get a ticket (dollar). After the meetings they would get a pack of diapers and wipes and could pick out of a bucket of baby supplies.

Q: How did you acquire your program incentives?
A: We would purchase diapers and wipes with grant funds. We would also sponsor a baby supplies drive at the school (student leaders can also do this). We’d ask teachers, staff and the community to donate. (I once got a donation of 25 car seats from the city of Long Beach). We would also throw one or more baby shower celebrations to get more people involved. 

It’s also important to include food and good snacks at the meetings! The teens were hungry.  

Q: Did you partner with any outside community services, agencies or groups?
A: Yes, below is a list of community partners who collaborated with our efforts:

• California Families in Focus
• City of Long Beach
• Women Shelter of Long Beach
• Interval House
• Helpline Youth Counseling
• Casa Youth Shelter
• Human Dignity Program
• Youth Opportunity Center
• Workforce Development Office
• Long Beach City College
• California State University of Long Beach

Source: San Diego State University

Q: Could you describe the Xi Sisters Leadership program? 
A: The Xi Sisters Leadership Program consisted of 40 girls in the program. Girls would serve as peer mentors and would come to weekly meetings with a teen mom. The girls would be paired up with one teen mom to serve as peer mentor for the year and would meet on their own with them weekly. The girls who were not peer mentors would babysit the children in a room nearby when the teen mom is in their meeting. The Xi Sisters would also get stuff donated to the program. The peer mentors would help with tutoring and getting their mentees’ work when they were absent.

Q: Why did this program work?
A: The teen mothers felt connected to their school and the program, which led to a better chance of success. The program provided education and resources, and the peer mentors would provide support. The teen mom does not feel alone as we continued to push them forward.

Q: What advice would you offer to a high school afterschool program that wanted to begin serving this population?  
A: There needs to be a strong team-building and trust component filled with activities that promote this. There needs to be a variety of topics and deliberate opportunities for them to get to know their own selves.

There must be opportunities for future planning. It is also important that they feel connected to the program in order to keep them coming. 

There will be lots of setbacks, so don’t get discouraged if your program dwindles down to two. There are many reasons this can happen- childbirth, teens move away, there is low interest, family issues, transportation issues, etc. 

At least one consistent person needs to run the program (whether it is run by one of your staff or if you bring in an agency to run it). We have done it both ways.

That person needs to make reminder phone calls for each meeting and also frequently meet one on one with each participant as this ensures their continued participation. 

Also, it’s important to collaborate with community agencies to present on specific topics and bring resources and goodies. Bringing on school day staff to present on topics and provide resources also ensures buy in with the school. NOTE: There may be some reluctance with school staff, so be patient. 

MORE ABOUT...

Candace Meehan is the founder and director at 23 Seeds of Greatness. She is also a trainer and consultant for afterschool programs. Before her work at 23 Seeds of Greatness, Candace worked for five years at Long Beach City College, facilitating case and grants management before entering the afterschool program field. Candace worked with the Long Beach Unified School District as Program Director for WRAPs at Long Beach Jordan High School, and has been deeply involved in the community within the City of Long Beach Youth Council. She sits on the board for California Families in Focus Teen Pregnancy Program.

23 Seed of Greatness: The mission of 23 Seeds of Greatness 501(c)(3) is to provide youth with skills to enhance their life experiences. Their vision is to create a world where all young people are supported and empowered to reach their full potential. They believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.