Focus on Teenage Motherhood: An Innovative Response to a Growing Problem

Abstract

The issue of teenage motherhood continues to present multifaceted problems for the young mother, her offspring, and society. Most teenage mothers have a difficult time completing their schooling; therefore, programs aimed at helping the young woman continue with her studies could be beneficial. The New York City LYFE Program was established to meet the special needs of the inner city school age mother chiefly by removing the burden of finding day care for the infant and by helping the young mother cope psychologically with her new responsibilities. A pilot study on 209 participants enrolled in the LYFE Program from 1987 through 1992 found that over two thirds managed to graduate from high school. Of this group, the majority continued with schooling {college or vocational training). The overwhelming majority said that without the help of the Program, they would not have been able to finish high school. Findings show that there was greater likelihood of graduating the longer one was in the Program. Findings also show that those women who avoided a repeat pregnancy were likely to finish school. While the LYFE Program has limited ability to address the profound social circumstances of most of the young women in the study, the Program does fulfil an important societal function by enabling young mothers to continue with their schooling.

Key Words:

• Teenage motherhood
• response to.