Talking with your teens

Need help with talking with your teens about various tougher topics?

The Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health has a series of nine modules that you can download for free.  There is a parent booklet for each (in English and Spanish), and a teen booklet for two of the topics.

Families Talking Together - Parent Materials

Latino English Version
The Basics: What Parents Need to Know
Module 1: Linking Lives: Parenting Your Teens
Module 2: Your Teen's World
Module 3: How to Help Your Teen Grow Up
Module 4: Talking the Talk
Module 5: Can We Get Along?
Module 6: You Gotta Have Friends
Module 7: Self-Esteem and Your Teen
Module 8: Helping Your Teen Say "No" to Sex
Module 9: Should I Talk to My Teen about Birth Control and Protection?

Education on a budget

Your pregnant daughter's education level is crucial to her future money situation.  The more education she has, the more likely she will be to have a job that pays enough to keep her and her child(ren) out of poverty.  Feminists for Life has an article that contains tips on getting an education on a shoestring budget.

If your pregnant daughter has not yet graduated from high school, she needs to find a way to complete at LEAST that much education.

A GED (General Educational Development) certification is an alternative to a high school diploma that
allows your pregnant daughter to work while preparing for and completing the certification exam. More information about this can be found at www.acenet.edu, which has sample questions, study tools, and the latest information about the GED.

In order to attend school, your daughter will need someone to care for her child.  Will family and friends help her with free or inexpensive childcare while she attends class and studies?  Does your church or community group offer affordable childcare? 

Your daughter will also need transportation to school.  Does she have access to a reliable vehicle?  Can she share a ride with a friend or family?  Can she walk, or take public transportation?

After completing high school or a GED, your daughter should consider getting a college degree of some sort (a 2-year degree or a 4-year degree).  To reduce tuition expenses, your daughter should look at attending a local community college for a few years before transferring to a university to finish a four-year program.  She needs to research carefully to see which courses will transfer so that she doesn't waste time and money on classes that will have to be re-taken.

If your daughter thinks online education would work better for her, she can search for distance
education programs at www.distance-education.org.  She needs to be sure that her online school is accredited, and if she is interested in a profession that requires licensure (such as nursing, teaching, etc.), then she needs to be sure the online college offers this licensure as part of their program.

If your pregnant daughter has to miss a class because of pregnancy issues, sick children or other
family needs, she needs to have a designated buddy or two in each class to take notes or tape the class for her. She should get to know her professors right away by talking to them before and after class.  She should let them know about her situation and her intentions to meet their expectations. She should be sure to call her professors if she has to be absent (even if it’s a large class). This lets the professor know that she is dedicated to their class. It’s also a good tip for distance learners to go beyond email and actually have phone conversations with professors from time to time.

For breastfeeding mothers, find out if there are designated spots on campus for breastfeeding or pumping, or ask other student parents for the best spots.

How to finance her education?  There are many types of scholarships and loans available to
students: take a look at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Only take on the minimum amount of loans necessary to pay tuition expenses. Singlemom.com also has a list of scholarships that are more specific to single mothers. Some employers will pay for part of college tuition. She should consider seeking employment that supports her education. Although working full-time and going to school can be quite the challenge, it is another option for those with support for these goals.

You may find it helpful to read the chapter “Completing School” in our book “How To Survive Your Teen’s Pregnancy".

Have questions? Want to talk about this post or other issues? Write a comment, join us on Facebook, or talk with us on our new Grandparent Support Group!  

Childcare Resources

The National Association of Childcare Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) says there are 8.6 million families in the United States in which both parents are working, 5.6 million working single parents, and 14.3 million children under age six in need of childcare. On average, children under age five with working mothers spend 36 hours a week in childcare.

Feminists for Life's report "Kids on a Shoestring Budget" reports that the average annual fees for full-time center care for an infant range from $4,542 to $14,591. The cost of in-home childcare is slightly less. Infant care is the most expensive, primarily because the infant-to-caregiver ratio must
be lower. Full-time center care for a toddler or preschool child costs from $3,380 to $10,787.

A 2011 study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research found that student parents in the United States need more than one million childcare slots but that less than 5% of that need is being met at campus childcare centers. Though student parents make up about one-fourth of all postsecondary students, less than 20% of postsecondary schools offer on-campus childcare, and the children of students rarely get priority when facilities exist.

So what resources can help your pregnant daughter with child care while she attends school or a job?

For children who are not yet in school, see if your daughter and her child(ren) qualify for programs like "Early Head Start" and "Head Start".

Does anyone in your extended family live nearby that would be willing and able to help with free childcare?  Older siblings, grandparents, aunts, cousins, etc.?

Can your daughter swap babysitting with other women who are children of a similar age?

If your pregnant daughter will be employed full time after giving birth, does her employer offer on-site childcare?  Maybe they offer childcare assistance programs?

If your pregnant daughter will return to school after giving birth, does her school offer on-site childcare?

If your pregnant daughter is researching childcare, she should be very thorough in her consideration of every situation.  She should interview the childcare provider during business hours.  She should ask to see the results of background checks on the employees.  She should ask to see proof of licensing.  She should ask for references from the childcare provider (and actually call them and ask questions!).  And she should spend time observing the children in the environment.

Websites such as www.childcareaware.org and www.daycareproviders.com allow you to search for providers by name, city, or ZIP code. They provide checklists to guide parents through the search process, as well as sample interview questions to use with potential providers. They also offer
electronic newsletters for both parents and childcare providers. The Childcare and Development Fund (nccic.acf.hhs.gov) provides comprehensive information on state childcare providers.

Once your daughter's children attend school, they may need before-school and after-school care.  The YMCA (www.ymca.net) offers a school-age childcare program called Y-Care.  Boys & Girls Clubs is another nationwide agency that offers before- and after-school childcare options in many communities. You can search their website, www.bgca.org, by ZIP code to find a club near you.

You may find it helpful to read the chapter “Childcare Responsibilities”in our book “How To Survive Your Teen’s Pregnancy".

Have questions? Want to talk about this post or other issues? Write a comment, join us on Facebook, or talk with us on our new Grandparent Support Group!  

Budget housing, furniture and utilities

Forget glamorous, spacious, and perfect decor.  Instead, focus on safe and affordable.  Feminists for Life has a great article giving tips about housing, furniture and utilities when you are on a shoestring budget.

Most towns have a public housing office, although it may be difficult to get placed because of long waiting lists and shortages of available housing in most places. The U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) may have listings of low-income housing. Local HUD offices can be found by choosing your state from the pulldown menu at www.hud.gov.

Consider sharing a house or apartment with other families like yours. Make sure that house-sharers are safe people, mutually compatible and flexible people, and to plan the living space for privacy as well as togetherness. Be sure to check your local laws about how many people may legally share a bedroom.

The National Shared Housing Resource Center (www.nationalsharedhousing.org) can be a good starting point for researching shared housing options. Craigslist is another resource for finding people interested in shared housing. Coabode.com offers a “matchmaking” service for single mothers to share housing with other single mothers.


Many utility companies and charitable organizations offer financial assistance to low-income
households for utilities. Take action to keep utility costs down. The first step is weather-proofing: make sure there is caulk around window frames, weather-stripping on doors, and use plastic insulating kits on windows where there are no storm windows.  Keep showers short, turn off lights, unplug items that you aren't using, change the thermostat and adjust clothing layers instead.

When children are small, it is better to have sturdier, more durable furniture that can withstand
some wear and tear. Handmedowns from relatives or friends can meet the need. A mattress and box spring on a metal frame are just as good as an expensive bed frame, and a futon on the floor is even
cheaper. Check www.freecycle.org first for free furniture. If you can’t find anything there, try craigslist.com, or bulletin boards at religious community centers, supermarkets and businesses. Flea markets, auctions, garage sales and tag sales are also good sources, although they pose an impulse buy
temptation.

You may find it helpful to read the chapter “Should she parent alone?”in our book “How To Survive Your Teen’s Pregnancy" to learn more about housing.

Have questions? Want to talk about this post or other issues? Write a comment, join us on Facebook, or talk with us on our new Grandparent Support Group!  

Infant Feeding

Breastfeeding? Formula feeding?  Feminists for Life has a great article "Infant Feeding" that teaches you about both.  Read this article with your pregnant daughter and discuss these points from the article:

• "The American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org/breastfeeding/) recommends breastfeeding newborns for at least six months. Breastfeeding helps build babies’ immune systems and promotes bonding between mother and child. Breastfeeding mothers may find it easier to lose pregnancy weight, and breastfeeding contributes to reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer."
• "Make sure the baby is allowed to latch on to the breast within the first hour after birth, if  possible, and breastfeeding will be easier for both mother and child. While in the hospital, don’t let staff give formula or pacifiers to your newborn."  Add this to your written Birth Plan if you want the staff to follow this.
• "Check the USDA website at www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastpumps/index.html for information about pumping and storing breast milk."
• "The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends iron-fortified infant formula if you are unable to breastfeed or if your baby is weaned before 12 months or needs supplemental milk."
• "Formula feeding allows fathers, partners or other family members to participate in nourishing and nurturing the baby, encouraging one-on-one time and allowing the mother some extra rest.
  (Pumped breast milk can also be used for this purpose.)"

Does your daughter plan to breastfeed? Or to use formula?  Share your own experiences with her.  Go to several stores and compare prices for formula.  How much money could formula cost each week?

You may find it helpful to read the chapter “The Child is Born” in our book “How To Survive Your Teen’s Pregnancy“.

Have questions? Want to talk about this post or other issues? Write a comment, join us on Facebook, or talk with us on our new Grandparent Support Group! 

Free child safety seat for Virginia Residents

To qualify for a free child safety seat in Virginia, applicants must meet all of the following:

• Medicaid or FAMIS eligible or proof of meeting program income eligibility guidelines
• Resident of Virginia
• Parent, legal guardian, or foster parent of the child
• Last trimester of pregnancy, or provided for children seven years old or younger who fit within the program safety seat manufacturer's guidelines
• Available to attend a safety seat installation and use class
• Sign a waiver of liability release form

If you meet the above requirements you may contact your local distribution site to learn how to apply for the program. To use an interactive map to locate a distribution site where you live and learn how to apply to receive a free safety seat click here.
For more information concerning the program or for other technical assistance on child occupant protection and resource information, call 1-800-732-8333.

Maps for Dads

"Maps for New Dads" is a great brochure for the baby's father, covering both prenatal and newborn topics.  Print out a free copy and give it to the baby's father.  Use the brochure as a guideline for family talk times.  Your pregnant daughter and other family members may like a copy too so that they can participate in the discussion.

Topics covered in the brochure are:
Prenatal: Before Your Baby Is BornHow Do You Feel About Being a Dad?
What to Expect When You’re Expecting
The First Trimester
The Second Trimester
The Third Trimester
Dad Fears...There are Plenty!
Dads Make a Difference
Settling Down
Just the Facts
Get Involved and Stay Involved
Prenatal Visits: Why Are They So Important?
Making a Healthy Baby – Dad’s Part
Show Me the Money!
What You Can Do to Get Ready
What’s Up with the New Mom?
Chef Dad
What If My Baby's Mother and I Aren't Together?
What You Can Expect When the Baby Comes
Bonding With Your New Baby
Changing A Diaper!
Sleeping, Dressing, Grooming
Feeding
Crying
Never Shake a Baby
Newborn Safety
All About Cribs
Make Your House a Smoke-free Zone
Supporting Your Baby’s Mom
What Are Mommy Blues?
Make Dadhood Legal
Getting a Job and Going to School
Live Like Dad...Be There!

You may find it helpful to read the chapters “Where does the baby's father belong in all this?” and "The importance of a father" in our book “How To Survive Your Teen’s Pregnancy“.

Have questions? Want to talk about this post or other issues? Write a comment, join us on Facebook, or talk with us on our new Grandparent Support Group!  

Health Insurance resource

A pregnant woman needs and deserves prenatal care from the moment she learns she is pregnant. The State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides free or low-cost health insurance for children up to age 18 as well as for pregnant women.

The program is designed for families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford insurance on their own. Requirements and provisions vary by state. Check insurekidsnow.gov for links to your state’s SCHIP resources, or call 1-877-KIDSNOW (1-877-543-7669).

You may find it helpful to read the chapters “First steps to take” in our book “How To Survive Your Teen’s Pregnancy“.

Have questions? Want to talk about this post or other issues? Write a comment, join us on Facebook, or talk with us on our new Grandparent Support Group!  

Building character early in life

"Reading your male: an invitation to understand and influence your man's sexuality", by Mary Farrar, is a meaty book that has some interesting topics that would make for good conversations (maybe even debates) with your pregnant daughter.

On page 32, Farrar repeats an anonymous quotation that "the formative period for building character for eternity is in the nursery. The mother is queen of that realm and sways a sceptor more potent than that of kings or priests."

She goes on to say, "Mothers also have a remarkable unseen power over marriages-to-come (that is, who their sons will choose to marry and not marry, and how they will relate to their future wives). ... Mothers contribute uniquely to the process of preparing their sons to become great dads."

Basically, the first years of a child's life are very important for building their character.

Discuss with your pregnant daughter:
What character traits does she wish her child to have?
What is her plan for teaching that character to her child?
Will she be the primary caretaker of her child during these important early years, or will the child be taught by someone else such as a paid daycare worker or another family member?
If she won't be the primary caretaker, what is her plan for how she will teach character during the time she has available?
If your daughter is making an adoption plan, what character traits would she like the parents of her child to have so that they are more likely to raise her child with the character she desires?

Review: Guys are Waffles, Girls are Spaghetti

"Guys are Waffles, Girls are Spahetti" by Chad Eastham with Bill & Pam Farrel

This book is written in a very casual conversation style, aimed at young to mid teens. Boys might enjoy it more than girls because of the examples Chad gives from his own life about how he was an awkward teen. The text may seem rambling to adults, but perhaps this style will appeal to teens because it won't feel like a lecture.

The goal of the book is to discuss gender differences and realtionships. Chad gives a short explanation of brain anatomy and the main analogy that guy are waffles (they compartmentalize) while girls are spaghetti (everything can be interconnected). He also discusses sexting, learning listening skills, and dating.

Chad talks about the various reasons that some people date:

• The rebel dater who simply wants to show independence and gain freedom.
• "Dating for a daddy"...girls that are looking for love to replace the love they are not getting from their fathers. This may be especially true in single parent families.
• Serial dating... constantly jumping from relationship to relationship because the person feels they can't be alone.
• "Missionary dating" ..."This term describes people who date others with very different religious and social viewpoints from their own with the hope of 'converting' them."

Near the end of the book, Chad talks about sex. He reminds readers that guys and girls have sex for different reasons: guys give love in order to get sex, girls give sex in order to get love. Discuss this with your kids.

Talk to your kids about these neat factoids mentioned in the book:

• 96% of high school relationships will not last. Chad discusses the idea that dating in high school should strive not to involve deep committment and romantic emotions (and also be very limited physically) in order to protect yourself from heartbreak (due to the fact that so few of these relationships last). Talk about Chad's question with your kids: "If I were to tell you that you will date someone but that you probably won't marry that person, then what would you do differently in that relationship?" Most girls say they would be less likely to be sexual with their boyfriend.
• "The younger you start dating and the more often you date people, the higher your odds are of experiencing unhealthy relationship habits, negative feelings, depression, a poor self-image, sexual abuse, rape, less relationship satisfaction, and a higher risk of suicide."
• "The average age difference for married couples in the United States is just over two years. The average difference in age between teen girls who get pregnant and the guys who get them pregnant is 6.2 years."

The back of the book has a study guide that has questions that would be great conversation starters.

Now available in Spanish!

Our best-selling book "How To Survive Your Teen's Pregnancy" is now available in Spanish!

"Como Sobrevivir el Embarazo de su Adolescente" is available on Amazon.com and also directly from us.

October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month

National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or TTY 1-800-787-3224
This violence hotline is open for victims or anyone calling on their behalf 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Hotline counselors can provide crisis intervention, information or referrals to agencies across the nation. Assistance is available in English and Spanish with access to more than 170 languages through interpreter services.

National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)
Among its programs, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE). This nationwide partnership of more than 1,100 local rape treatment hotlines provides victims of sexual assault with free, confidential services around the clock. When a caller dials 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE), the call is automatically connected to a local U.S. rape crisis program near the phone number's area code.

National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
1-866-331-9474 or TTY 1-866-331-8453
To raise awareness and champion zero tolerance of dating violence among teens, the National Domestic Violence Hotline offers the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline in conjunction with the Love Is Respect program for teens and parents seeking help. An online chat option is available from 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. CST.

Break The Cycle
Break the Cycle believes everybody has the right to safe and healthy relationships—regardless of where they live, who they are or what they believe. That is why they work every day toward its mission to engage, educate and empower youth to build lives and communities free from domestic violence. Break the Cycle offers programs that defy geographic bounds—ensuring that no young person is excluded from receiving the help, tools and information they need to live free from violence. Break the Cycle’s success is demonstrated by more than a decade of leadership in working with teens to prevent and end domestic and dating violence.

Resources & Programs located on The Mary Kay Foundation Web site

Resource: Southern Nevada Children First

Las Vegas TV News 3 has a video and article about Southern Nevada Children First, a program that helps "young mothers who don't have a home....[and] gives young mothers a place to stay while helping them to receive an education or search for a job." Up to seven young mothers and their babies can stay in the central Las Vegas home associated with Southern Nevada Children First. The two-year program gives 17 to 22-year-old homeless mothers a place to stay and a plan to get on their feet.

One 17-year-old mother, who asked to not be identified, knows what it's like to be homeless.
"My boyfriend had beat me and I had nowhere to go. I've been on the streets multiple times for multiple lengths of times." She still fears for her safety even though she's in a better place now.
"It really feels like a home; it doesn't feel like a shelter or a place you are staying because you don't have anywhere else to go. They helped me get into college so I am officially a college student. I want to get a full-time job and then transition to my own apartment and have my own place."

If your pregnant daughter can not live with you after the baby is born, where will she live? With other family? With friends? Does she need your help to find a program like this that will help her get on her feet? Call your local pregnancy resource center to see if they have referrals for housing. You may find it helpful to read our book "How To Survive Your Teen's Pregnancy" because it discusses the many decisions that you and your pregnant daughter are facing about housing during pregnancy, finishing her education, legal issues, medical issues, skill building and life options after the baby is born.

Birth Plan

A labor and deliver nurse wrote a two-part blog post about how to write a birth plan. Read these posts with your pregnant daughter, discuss them, and then help her write down a birth plan of her own to give to her doctor.

These posts will:
1) Assist you in writing the best birth plan you can by pointing you in the direction of the best resources out there, that she has found, on birth plan writing,
2) Review the true purpose of a birth plan and help you write a birth plan for the right reasons, and
3) Help you navigate through a bureaucratic hospital system often perforated with outdated dogma and run by unofficial “policies” and help you and your labor companions facilitate a positive and empowering birth experience for your whole family!

Writing Your Birth Plan: Tips from An L&D Nurse, Part One
In part one, the nurse talks about what a birth plan is, what types of birth plans are not helpful to mothers and nurses, what types of birth plans are useful and helpful.

Top Ten DOs for Writing Your Birth Plan: Tips from An L&D Nurse, Part Two
In part two, the nurse gives ten tips for writing your birth plan:
1) Keep it simple
2) Be clear
3) Do your research to discover your preferences
4) Include your fears and concerns
5) Review the plan with your nurse/doctor/staff and ask them to sign that they have read it and understood it.
6) Make the plan personal, and understand it so that you can answer questions about it
7) Look at examples online for ideas
8) Imagine different scenarios ahead of time and try to guess what help you would want
9) Try to make the research fun, not a chore
10) Bring the plan with you to the hospital!

We talk about creating a birth plan in the chapter titled "The Baby is Born" in our book "How To Survive Your Teen's Pregnancy".

Parents: You Matter! Webinar

Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The Partnership for a Drug Free America present a webinar on August 25, 2009 titled

Parents: You Matter!

The webinar will present parent-friendly tools and resources that will give attendees information about why kids use drugs and alcohol, and what parents need to know to help and protect their children. Resources will be made available to all attendees, including the presentation, annotated script and other tools. Sign up here.

Evaluating a relationship

Rose Publishing has a great booklet titled "100 Things To Know When Dating" (or "100 Things to Know Before Dating and Marriage").

This is well worth getting. It has discussion questions about goals and interests, character, personality, family and friends, and background. These questions help you determine if you really know the person well. The booklet also has a "risk quiz", advice from the Bible about courtship and marriage, and tips on how to make break-ups less painful and how to recover from a break-up.

Parents of tweens should discuss these questions in relation to the tweens friends... are the friends beneficial to your tween?

Parents of teens should discuss these questions in relation to current friends and especially potential dating partners.

Parents of pregnant daughters should discuss these questions in relation to the baby's father, regardless of the age of the pregnant daughter.

Some of the questions in the booklet are:

1. How often does his/her family get together?
2. Does this person get along with other people in his or her family?
3. Does this person seem to have a vital relationship with God or does he or she just say religious things? (1 John 2:3-6)
4. Does he or she joke or brag about doing wrong things? (Proverbs 10:23)
5. Does this person flirt with others or treat you with respect? (1 Corinthians 13)
6. Is he or she irritable, unforgiving, stubborn or looking for an opportunity to take revenge? (Matthew 5:38-39)
7. Does he or she talk about past relationships often?
8. Is their anything about him or her you would not want your parents or friends to know?
9. Does this person still live at home? Why?
10. Does this person do kind and loving things for others without being asked?
11. Does this person have odd opinions, poor manners, or trouble keeping friends?
12. Do you find yourself apologizing for his/her behavior?
13. Does he/she hold you down and tickle you when it is no longer fun?

Child care help

If your pregnant daughter will need help finding child care so she can go to school or work after her child is born, your state may have a program available. The links below were valid as of June 2009.

Alabama - Child Care Subsidy

Alaska - Child Care Assistance Program

Arizona - DES Child Care

Arkansas - Child Care Assistance

California - Child Care Financial Assistance

Colorado - Child Care Assistance

Connecticut - Care 4 Kids program

Delaware - Child Care Services

Florida -

Georgia - Subsidized Child Care Assistance

Hawaii - Child Care Connection Hawaii

Idaho - Child Care Program

Illinois - Child Care Assistance Program

Iowa - Child Care Assistance

Kansas - Child Care Subsidy

Kentucky - Child Care Assistance Program

Lousiana - Child Care Assistance Program

Maine - Paying for Child Care

Maryland - Child Care Assistance

Massachusetts - EEC Child Care Financial Assistance Program

Michigan - Child Development and Care Program

Minnesota - Child Care Assistance Program

Mississippi - Child Care Assistance

Missouri - Child Care Assistance

Montana - "Best Beginnings" child care scholarship program

Nebraska - Child Care Subsidy

Nevada - Child Care Program

New Hampshire - Elegibility for child care services

New Jersey - DCF Child Care assistance

New Mexico - Child Care Assistance

New York - Child Care Services

North Carolina - Child Care Financial Assistance

North Dakota - Child Care Assistance

Ohio - Child Care

Oklahoma - Child Care Subsidy

Oregon - Child Care Assistance

Pennsylvania - "Child Care Works" Subsidized Child Care

Rhode Island - DHS Child Care Assistance Program

South Carolina - ABC Child Care Program

South Dakota - Child Care Assistance

Tennessee - Child Care Financial Assistance

Texas - Child Care Services

Utah - Child Care Assistance

Vermont - Child Care Financial Assistance

Virginia - Child Day Care Assistance

Washington - Child Care Assistance

West Virginia - Child Care Program

Wisconsin - "Wisconsin Shares" Child Care Subsidy

Wyoming - Child Care Subsidy Program

Finishing college or graduate school

Does your pregnant-and-single daughter need help so she can finish her college degree or graduate degree?

If so, take a look at "FinishedUp". Their website says:

The mission of Finished Up is to provide avenues for single mothers so that they may complete their undergraduate and graduate careers. To that end, Finished Up provides resources for housing, medical needs, childcare, counseling, spiritual growth and development, and other means of support throughout the specific college/university community so that women who make the decision to become mothers can begin to build a healthy life for their families while completing their degrees. Additionally each chapter of Finished Up will maintain a Pregnancy Resource Fund that will be sustained through various private party donations.

Jump Start House

The News Tribune (of Washington State) recently ran an article titled "Jump Start: Helping young moms set sail". This article describes the Jump Start house as "one of a very few in Pierce County designed especially for young pregnant women and their babies." It can house "up to four 18- to 25-year-old women who are either pregnant or have children" but is often full and turns away more than a dozen requests for housing each month.

Just like other maternity homes (see our previous post about maternity homes), there are rules:

• "Residents must pay a third of their income for rent, whether that comes from state welfare benefits or job earnings."
• "They’re also responsible for buying their own food, though they typically qualify for food stamps."
• "They must participate in weekly “house group” gatherings and individual meetings with case manager Seyler."
• "They must go to school or work 20 hours a week."
• "The women sign a lease to live in the home for one year, though the stay can be extended for an additional year."
• "They’re also subject to surprise midnight bed checks from case managers."
• "Boyfriends aren’t allowed to stay overnight."

The article concludes with information on other resources in that area: "Lakewood Area Shelter Association provides temporary, transitional and permanent housing and help with rent for people throughout Pierce County, including pregnant women ages 18 to 25. The association also accepts donations of single beds, cribs, dressers, vegetable starts and gardening equipment. For information, call 253-581-8689."

"New Beginnings Home in Puyallup provides housing for pregnant women, including those under 18 if parents make a voluntary placement agreement. For information, call Debi Musick at 253-232-7318."

If your pregnant daughter will be living at home with you during her pregnancy (and/or after the baby is born), you may consider making a contract with her that includes the ideas above. The contract could specify how much rent she will pay to you, her contribution to food and cooking duties, that she must attend counseling meetings once a week at a Pregnancy Help Center, that she must go to school and/or have a job, and other rules. We discuss contracts such as these in the chapter "Should She Parent Alone?" in our book "How To Survive Your Teen's Pregnancy".

New pregnant teen program in Nevada

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children has responded to one of the greatest unmet needs for children in Southern Nevada with the opening of the Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program.

The Program provides “at-risk” mothers ages 10 to 17 years old the opportunity to receive training in parenting, job and life skills as well as social, academic and independent living skill development. Individualized and group therapy are also offered and all are delivered while focusing on the mother's health care needs throughout her pregnancy.

The facility is large enough to accommodate a teen mother in private quarters through the pregnancy stages and after the arrival of her new baby. In addition to a parenting curriculum, all the girls will attend the local public high school and receive individualized case monitoring provided by trained and caring staff. The Program residents will be able to stay until they are ready to transition to independent living or until they turn 20 years old. Working in the community and learning how to become a self sufficient and productive parent and member of society are core skills these young women will learn as residents of the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program.