Growing Strong Families Program, Page County

Problem:
Teen pregnancy continues to be an issue in Page County. During my four years as a Program Assistant, I have always had teen mothers enrolled in the Growing Strong Families (GSF) program. Besides the challenge of being a new mother, teen mothers are still developing themselves and coping with parents and peers.

Response:
I used the Parents as Teachers curriculum and the resources from Iowa State University (ISU) Extension families program. I used active communication when discussing choices the teen mother could make and added much positive feedback.

Impact:
One teen parent came into GSF prenatally, and her daughter is now three years old. This young mother initially lived with her grandparents but is now in her own apartment. She graduated in 2005 and is planning on attending college. On a number of occasions this mother has expressed her appreciation for the support GSF has given her. She said that getting support outside of family and friends helped her make parenting decisions.

Another teen mother expressed her appreciation for the research-based information from Parents as Teachers and ISU Extension. During her pregnancy, she has received much advice from friends and families. Many times the advice comes with a lot of emotion attached. She shared that she liked the factual information from GSF without all the emotion.

Contact:
Brenda Lisle
Growing Strong Families Program Assistant
311 E Washington St , Clarinda, IA 51632
Phone 712-542-5171
E-mail blisle@iastate.edu