Abstract
This study describes personal and familial characteristics of 58 teenage mothers enrolled in Mama Club, a free community-based
teen parent education program. It also identifies types of services and support participants received and program elements
perceived to be important for attending Mama Club. Most participants were raised single-parent households (55.0 %), reported
having mothers who were teenage parents (64.8 %), were impoverished (86.0 %), not enrolled in school (54.5 %), and unemployed
(81.8 %). Participants primarily received assistance from Medicaid (86.5 %), Food Stamps (67.3 %), and family members (40.0 %);
only 5.5 % received money from their child’s father. Teen parent education programs should educate parenting teenagers about
available assistance programs and involve diverse community partners to establish a seamless referral system.
teen parent education program. It also identifies types of services and support participants received and program elements
perceived to be important for attending Mama Club. Most participants were raised single-parent households (55.0 %), reported
having mothers who were teenage parents (64.8 %), were impoverished (86.0 %), not enrolled in school (54.5 %), and unemployed
(81.8 %). Participants primarily received assistance from Medicaid (86.5 %), Food Stamps (67.3 %), and family members (40.0 %);
only 5.5 % received money from their child’s father. Teen parent education programs should educate parenting teenagers about
available assistance programs and involve diverse community partners to establish a seamless referral system.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-16
- DOI 10.1007/s10560-012-0276-y
- Authors
- Matthew Lee Smith, Department of Health Promotion and Behavior, The University of Georgia College of Public Health, 330 River Road, 315 Ramsey Center, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Maggie H. Gilmer, Department of Sociology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Lesley E. Salge, Student Health Services, Office of Student Life, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Justin B. Dickerson, Department of Health Policy & Management, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, College Station, TX, USA
- Kelly L. Wilson, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Journal Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal
- Online ISSN 1573-2797
- Print ISSN 0738-0151