Poster workshop discussion
Chair: Anne E. Brady
Discussant: M. Ann Easterbrooks
In 1997, the Massachusetts legislature allocated funds for the creation of a home visiting program for primiparous teenage mothers and their infants. The services are intended to help adolescent parents (1) develop effective parenting skills to ensure optimal health and development of their children; (2) prevent repeat teen pregnancies; (3) attain maximum educational achievement; (4) develop the capability to support themselves and their children; and (5) have healthy birth outcomes. In this poster workshop, we describe the evaluation and examine several key research questions that pertain to the development of the teenage mothers as parents and individuals Data for the posters are drawn from the process study and outcome study components of the evaluation project. Central to the evaluation are issues of the ways in which teen mothers negotiate the mutual, and often competing, tasks of parenting and identity formation. The ways in which the teen mother navigates the issues in her development as an individual and as a parent are crucial to the development of her infant. Social support from family, friends, and formal programs is one significant factor in her success in reconciling her roles as a teenager and a mother.One of the implicit goals of the Massachusetts Healthy Families Program is to expand the teen mother's social support network, with both formal and informal sources of support. In their work with clients, home visitors attempt to establish positive helping relationships with the teenage mothers while also aiding the mothers to connect with other agencies, friends and community members, and family. This poster workshop investigates parental well-being and infant development as they relate to the quantity and quality of the teen mother's social supports. This workshop consists of five contributions. The first poster outlines the structure of the evaluation project and sets the stage for the others. The second poster examines the nature of the home visit, specifically investigating the relationship between the teen mother and her home visitor, since this relationship may be key to program effectiveness. This poster also will examine the teen mother's engagement in the program and her social support networks. The third poster discusses the ways in which maternal life history relates to current parenting. This poster presents data on the teen mother's childrearing history, specifically her experience of abuse, and data on the teen mother's current parenting attitudes and practices. The fourth poster describes the links between social support and parenting practice among teenage mothers, specifically investigating the extent to which social support promotes more optimal parenting attitudes and behaviors. The last poster discusses the links between social support, identity, and well-being. Data will be presented on the teen mother's perception of self, her level of well-being, and her social support network. Taken as a whole, the data from this workshop will address the process and effectiveness of a large-scale family support program aimed at adolescent mothers. The focus includes both service delivery and outcome, and addresses multiple aspects of maternal well-being and parenting. As such, the workshop has implications for policy-makers, practitioners, and researchers in the field of child development.
Details of individual items:
poster WS disc