A study assessed the pilot phase of a program called New Chance, which offers intensive, comprehensive, long-term services to young mothers, 17 to 21 years old, all of whom are poor and most of whom are welfare recipients and high school dropouts. Program services, which center on education, occupational skills training, parenting and health education, child care, and counseling, aim at improving the effectiveness of participants both as wage earners and as parents. The New Chance pilot phase was conducted from January 1986 to September 1988. During this time, the program model was developed and implemented at six sites across the country. Descriptions of the services of the six sites showed some success in treating clients with difficult problems. Eight lessons were drawn from the project: (1) making services available is not enough--they must be exciting and address participants' needs; (2) integrated services are more effective; (3) intensive staff training and technical assistance are needed; (4) techniques for maintaining a sense of momentum should be built into the program model; (5) sites should set attendance and lateness policies early; (6) stipends and incentives are important to many participants; (7) child care is a critical program service; and (8) optimum program development requires thought and planning facilitated by stable funding. (KC)