Young Parents Together (YPT) Educates Teen Parents

Problem:
Black Hawk County traditionally has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the state of Iowa. This is in part to the county’s large population of both lower socioeconomic groups and single parents families which have both been proven to produce higher teen pregnancy rates. Research has shown that children of teen parents have increased chances of experiencing health and cognitive impairments, neglect and/or abuse, being raised by a single parent, life in poverty, time in prison and teen-parenthood

Response:
YPT is a weekly intervention program for teen parents in Black Hawk County. The program is operated by a group of community agencies known as Together for Youth of which Iowa State University Extension is an important entity. Participants in YPT are offered a free meal, transportation, and childcare as incentives to attend each week.

As the Young toddlers facilitator, the Black Hawk County field specialist works with teen parents of children ages 6-12 months to help them improve their lives and the lives of their children through tailored education. Weekly lessons include such topics as healthy nutrition for both parent and baby, resource management for new parents, parenting skill development, and healthy relationship skill building just to name a few. Teen parents are also encouraged to further their education and connected with other community services which may serve to enhance their lives.

Impact:
Through the efforts of Young Parents Together hundreds of Black Hawk County teen parents are educated each year. This year, the Young Toddlers group has reached over 40 families to impact their lives through research based education resulting in over 40 hours of educational contact. In addition to indicating an increased awareness and knowledge of basic parenting, nutrition and relationship skills, parents in the young toddlers group have reported successful job obtainment and greater community awareness as benefits of attending the group.

Additionally, the teen pregnancy rate of Black Hawk County has decreased significantly in large part because of the efforts of the Together For Youth Coalition and Young Parents Together.

Contact:
Madelyn Ridgeway
Families Field Specialist
3420 University Avenue, Suite B
Waterloo, IA 50701
Phone 319-234-6811; Fax 319-234-5581
Email ridgeway@iastate.edu