NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
ERIC Number: ED395689
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1995
Pages: 62
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Improving the Parenting Skills of Teenage Mothers in a School Based Child Care Center.
Reynolds, Gail
The Parent-Infant Care Center, a component of the School Based Youth Services program, was designed to enable parenting students who needed child care support to continue attending school. This practicum project devised an intervention at the Center to address teen parents' lack of knowledge, experience, and skills needed to appropriately care for their infants. It was assumed that increased resource knowledge, enhanced interpersonal relationships, and augmented parenting skills would make a difference in the teen mothers' approach to parenting. Bi-weekly peer support groups were established to accomplish these goals. The group sessions were specifically designed to address issues related to parenting, employability, life management skills, and child development. The child development component introduced specific prevention and wellness promotion content to the teen mothers. Additionally, individual counseling was used to develop a trusting relationship to build a support system for each teen mother which reinforced the issues discussed in the groups. Data from several evaluation instruments gathered at the beginning and end of the 3-month implementation period indicated that: (1) there was an increase in the teen mothers' knowledge about community resources; (2) the teen mothers felt more supported by significant adults; (3) teen mothers developed a sensitivity to the development of their babies; and (4) the physical well-being of the infants improved, as reflected in the increase in "wellness" appointments and completion of immunizations. Contains 24 references. (HTH)
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Dissertations/Theses - Practicum Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A