Mount Pleasant Teen Moms Can Get Help

From 2005-2008, 73 babies were born to teen moms served by the Caledonia-Mount Pleasant Health Department.

Teen pregnancy rates for Mount Pleasant and Caledonia were not available, but the City of Racine has one of the highest rates in the state. The rate for all of Racine County is about 50 percent higher than the state rate.

On Friday, representatives from the agencies and programs that try to help teen parents came together at The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread to share information.

Pregnant and parenting teens in Mount Pleasant, Sturtevant and Caledonia have several programs available to them, including programs run through Racine Unified School District as well as one offered by the Central Racine County Health Department, formerly known as the Caledonia-Mount Pleasant Health Department. The Central Racine County Health Department serves Caledonia, Mount Pleasant, Sturtevant and North Bay.

The Teen Parenting Support Program is run by the Central Racine County Health Department. It is open to any pregnant or parenting teen, and aims to help them stay in school or graduate, get access to health care for themselves and their children, and become better parents.

Within the department’s jurisdiction, there have been about 40 babies born to teen moms each year, from a low of 34 in 2008 to a high of 44 in 2006.

The program provides Medicaid Prenatal Care Coordination services, support groups, infant health assessment and assists teen parents with accessing other services. It includes monthly individual visits, a care plan for the teen parent and the baby, developmental screening, a home safety assessment and education on safe sleep, child car safety and car seat checks.

The program served 12 teens in 2008, 17 in 2009 and 24 in 2010.

All of the babies born to teen moms who entered the program while they were pregnant were born at a health weight. All the teen moms had properly installed car seats. Nearly all the babies are up to date on their immunizations.

The teens also overwhelmingly continue their education, do not get pregnant again, and provide a safe environment for their children.

To hear more about the specific results of the program, watch o of Margaret Gesner talking about the program.

Partners Educating Parenting Students is an intensive, semester-long program for RUSD students who need additional help returning or staying in school because of their parenting responsibilities.

The program has strict attendance requirements, and students earn two credits for completing it: one credit is on parenting/life skills, and the other credit is evenly split between English and history. The program is open to freshmen students through age 21.

They hope a virtual component will come in the future, to serve more students, and to provide more flexibility for when students can participate. The programs four main goals are to improve attendance, have teens able to access health care for their child and themselves, to access community agencies and to transition to their school or alternate program.

The School Age Parenting Program is another RUSD program for students who are pregnant or parenting. The in-school program focuses on parenting skills and independent living, decreasing barriers to graduation and increasing their links to community support programs. They see 50 percent of the students who participate graduate from high school, compared with 40 percent nationally.