A recent newspaper article titled "Pregnant In High School: Teens On How Parenting Changed Them" tells the story of two teens who were pregnant in Florida high schools. Both Allison and Kimberly appear to have been 16 when they gave birth to their children. Both girls moved out of their mother's house because she was not supportive of them giving birth. They both moved in with their boyfriends and a different family member.
Florida has a program to help pregnant teens with "childcare services, classes and [emotional] support." This program "teaches young parents proper discipline and interaction with their children, socialization and what is developmentally appropriate for their babies and toddlers. It also teaches self-sufficiency, with the hope that young parents will have the tools they need to support themselves so they are not on public assistance. Students are expected to return to school two weeks after giving birth and are required to keep up with all of the classes and homework expected of other students - not to mention parenting courses and taking care of a newborn. 'When girls wake up after being up all night with their babies, they look exhausted,' Emmerman said. 'Most girls find it very difficult to adjust to being a parent.'" The article says that many teen parents in the Florida parenting program (in other words, those who did not drop out of school) are able to realize that they need to grow up, be responsible, get better grades, and stay out of trouble...for the sake of their child.
Help your pregnant daughter stay in school and finish at least her high school education. See if your county has a parenting program that can teach her the skills she needs. Many pregnancy help centers also have classes that educate women on child development and parenting skills. If your daughter does not see how she can stay in school and be a parent, research with her to see if adoption would be a benefit to her and her child.
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