New Research Shows Teen Parents Committed to School

Boston, MA On March 18, the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy hosts a teen parent lobby day that will bring hundred of teen parents to the Massachusetts state house to advocate for programs that help them stay in school. The stories and art exhibits these youth will share reflect the findings of a report the Alliance will release at the event: Expecting Success: How Policymakers and Educators Can Help Teen Parents Stay in School.
The research presented in this report reveals that many teens who were headed toward dropout become re-committed to school once they become parents. Among the nearly 300 pregnant and parenting teens surveyed, nearly 40% said they had a hard time staying in school before they became pregnant or an expectant father. Yet, over 50% of these same respondents said school was less challenging once they were parents. The overwhelming reason why it was less challenging? Respondents felt they had to stay in school for their children.
One teen parent who will speak on lobby day explains: It is a challenge to stay in school because it is hard to get to school on time, to do your homework in the evening and to work a job, take care of your child and attend school… We want to give our son a better life than what we had and we understand that an education and a high school diploma is part of what is needed to achieve that goal. We also want to be an example to our child. We want to show him that even when times get hard you must persevere and you need to find good people to support you. -Omar Colon
Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy asserts: » Twenty-five (25%) of youth who drop out in the U.S. say that teen parenthood is a leading reason why. Massachusetts will only meet the goal of reducing the dropout rate by 50% over 5 years if we do a better job at supporting pregnant and parenting teens in school. Because pregnant and parenting teens are uniquely motivated to stay in school for their children, they should be first priority for dropout prevention and recovery interventions.
Despite the determination of so many teen parents, the Alliance research demonstrates that these youth need family, schools, and teen parent programs that both support them and set high expectations for their success.