Early Childhood Services

Goal: Provide early childhood psychosocial and emotional development services through support to teenage parents and their preschool children.

Educational outcomes for both teen mothers and their children are typically poor. It is often difficult for young mothers to stay in school once they have their babies because of a lack of support and low commitment to school. The Pregnancy and Early Childhood Home Visitation Project is a well-tested model for supporting low-income, first time mothers and their children. Two Public Health Nurses (PHNs) will coordinate with SPS to provide parenting education and intensive case management to up to 25 pregnant and parenting teens. The PHN model incorporates health education, mental health, and community health nursing practices to help young women cope with pregnancy, birth, and infant care as well as addressing self-care and ensuring that the basic needs of the mothers and their babies are met.