Glen Ellyn group educates teen parents
Even in the best of circumstances — with a supportive, financially secure family — becoming a teenage parent is fraught with difficulty.
How do you care for and raise a child when you’re still so young yourself?
But often, teens who become pregnant are themselves at risk because of substance abuse, domestic violence, poverty and other factors. And they run the risk of handing down their situation to their children.
Research shows babies of teen mothers are more often born prematurely and with a low birth weight of less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces, and teen parents have fewer opportunities for prenatal and pediatric care.
Adolescent parents who receive prenatal care and education tend to fare better, says Becky Beilfuss, executive director of Teen Parent Connection, which offers preparation and follow-up programs for teen parents in DuPage County, as well as prevention programs for middle and high school students.
With group classes, counseling, home visits and a parents pantry, Teen Parent Connection hopes to give local adolescents the support they need to care for themselves and their children, Beilfuss said.
Beilfuss tells us more about the Glen Ellyn organization’s efforts to give adolescent parents and their children a chance.
Q. What is your organization’s mission?
A. Our mission is to serve the community through education on the realities and responsibilities of teenage pregnancy and through long-term assistance to adolescent parents for their development of self-esteem, parenting skills, and empowerment toward self-sufficiency.
Q. How do you work toward accomplishing that goal?
A. We have created the right mix of highly effective, mission-centric, evidence-based programs and services to help teenage parents and their babies in our community.
Our programs and services provide adolescent parents, who are between the ages of 13 and 22 years old, with parenting education, support and resources to help them successfully navigate both adolescence and parenthood.
Our board, staff and volunteers are 100 percent committed to supporting, serving and fulfilling this very unique need in DuPage County.
Q. Who do you serve?
A. We serve adolescent parents ages 13 to 22 and their children through our group, Healthy Families DuPage home visitation, childbirth education and doula programs.
We also help build awareness of the realities and impact of teenage pregnancy among middle school and high school students.
Q. When and why did the organization start? How has it grown?
A. Jeanne Altendorf-McLennan, a registered nurse who worked with teenage parents at Hinsdale Hospital, was unable to identify resources in the community to meet the unique and individualized needs of this population.
In 1983, on a trip to Minneapolis, she discovered MYM (Minnesota Early Learning Design Young Mothers). MELD is a parent education program that uses peer support groups to develop confident and competent parents. The goal of the program is to strengthen families by (1) reducing family isolation that can lead to child abuse and neglect; (2) increasing parents’ knowledge of child development; (3) increasing parents’ ability to solve problems, make decisions and manage family life; and (4) nurturing parents’ personal growth.
Upon returning to Hinsdale, she called a meeting of other individuals and agencies in the greater DuPage area to present this program. Joined early on by Juanita Francis and Barbara Dwyer, the three began a community needs assessment, the formation of a planning board of directors, and sought 501(c)(3) status.
In July 1985, Teen Parent Connection, formerly Greater DuPage MYM, opened the first group for teen moms at Addison United Presbyterian Church with the purpose of providing adolescent parents with parenting education, support and resources to improve the outcomes for both the young parent and the child.
Other “founding mothers” included Barbara Miklos, a social worker at Hinsdale South High School, and Kay Cushman, pastor of Addison United Presbyterian.
Q. What kind of successes have you had?
A. Less than 2 percent of participant families were identified as having an indicated case of child abuse and/or neglect.
At less than 3 percent, the subsequent pregnancy rate for our teen parent participants is far below the national average of 26 percent.
Nearly 70 percent of eligible TPC parent participants have completed their high school education or GED. Nationally, less than 30 percent of teen parents will complete their high school education by the time they reach the age of 30.
More than 95 percent of children were up-to-date with the schedule of preventative health care that is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for children ages birth to 5.
The number of pregnant teens accessing our childbirth education classes increased by 37 percent from the previous year, with 189 parents served.
The Parents Pantry received more than 1,000 visits and provided essential supplies like food, diapers and clothing to participant families.
Q. What challenges does the organization currently face?
A. Declining financial support from donors and foundations due to the recession and added competitive pressure from other nonprofits in DuPage County all vying for the same pool of dollars.
Nearly 40 percent of our budget is funded by state money through the Illinois Department of Human Services. The state is more than 10 months behind in paying on our grant contracts. At this time, the state owes TPC almost $180,000.
Q. What do you wish the community at large knew about the organization?
A. The community should know that each year in DuPage County there are more than 500 births to young women between the ages of 12 and 20. Teen pregnancy knows no boundaries; it can happen to any sexually active teenager.
On average, Teen Parent Connection receives around 375 referrals for services each year.
Teen Parent Connection is the only not-for-profit in the community that is solely dedicated to the issues of teen pregnancy, adolescent parenthood and teen pregnancy prevention. The programs and services of Teen Parent Connection have been proven effective in improving outcomes for both the young parent and their child.
Q. How can readers get involved?
A. Hold diaper drives in your community to stock the Parents Pantry.
Build awareness of the organization by holding community awareness receptions in your community.
Volunteer on committees and purchase tickets for our spring and fall fundraisers.
Provide a meal for one of our group sites
We are also seeking to fill a few upcoming open positions on our board, with community members willing to serve and fulfill our mission.
If you go
If you go
What: Vine — Growing together: Our Legacy, Our Future, a wine and food pairing event to benefit Teen Parent Connections pregnancy prevention and support programs
When: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28
Where: Danada House, 3S501Naperville Road, Wheaton
Tickets: $75 each
Info: (630) 790-8433, ext. 296; cindys@teenparentconnection.org or [URL]teenparentconnection.org;http://teenparentconnection.org[URL][/URL]