This week, I’m featuring the Young Parent Collective in Madison, Wisconsin. Its guiding principle is that “All young parents can achieve educational dreams, career goals, and health and well-being for themselves and their children.” Everything the program does supports this belief. In 2022, Kate Westaby, who was working on her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, obtainedContinue reading “Young Parent Collective”
Tag Archives: parenting
Empowering Teen Moms: YWCA
The YWCA is a familiar acronym but I really didn’t know what they do until one reader suggested I research the program they operate in Greensboro, North Carolina for teen moms. The organization has existed since the 1850s. Yes, they’re more than a century and a half old. I’m surprised I knew so little aboutContinue reading “Empowering Teen Moms: YWCA”
Martha’s Foundation: A Sanctuary for Teen Moms
Myrtle Watson, who founded Martha’s Foundation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has spent her career as a nurse educator and a tireless advocate for at-risk teens who become pregnant. Her work with teen moms convinced her that services for pregnant teens should include a residential facility tailored to young moms and their babies. No other agency inContinue reading “Martha’s Foundation: A Sanctuary for Teen Moms”
Support for Single Moms: Arms of Hope
Several years ago, a women’s retreat I attended chose to benefit a charity through the donation of essential supplies. The Refuge Ranch in Bastrop, Texas, just southeast of Austin, provided residential care and support for former victims of sex trafficking. Many clients were adolescent girls. As part of our retreat, we packed “goody bags” forContinue reading “Support for Single Moms: Arms of Hope”
Partnerships Supporting Teen Moms: Nurse-Family Partnership
I’ve been writing the past few months about my serious concerns for the well-being of pregnant teens, teen moms, and their children. They risk poverty, health crises, and other serious challenges. I fear the resources available to them will shrink even more in the upcoming administration. As we begin a new year, I’d like toContinue reading “Partnerships Supporting Teen Moms: Nurse-Family Partnership”
Children of Teen Moms: The Risks
In my last newsletter, “Sixteen and Pregnant,” I explained some of the challenges faced by teen moms with their health, economic status, educational attainment, and employment opportunities. Unfortunately, the children may suffer even greater consequences than their mothers. Here’s a roundup of potential consequences to the children of teen moms, according to Youth.gov, culled fromContinue reading “Children of Teen Moms: The Risks”
What’s in a Name?
I once heard someone advocate for a minimum age requirement for getting a tattoo by comparing body art to a drunken climb up a water tower with a can of spray paint. “At seventeen, you might think it will impress your girlfriend to scrawl her name inside a heart where everyone driving by can enjoyContinue reading “What’s in a Name?”
Janice Airhart 