TY - JOUR
T1 - Strategic partners
T2 - Enhancing the ability of foster care agencies to serve the special needs of young mothers
AU - Lieberman, Lisa D.
AU - Kaplan, Alejandra
AU - Scholey, Laura
AU - Kohomban, Jeremy
AU - Lausell-Bryant, Linda
N1 - Funding Information:
The P2P program was a capacity-building model led by one child welfare agency which historically served pregnant and parenting teens in care as its primary mission, and two child welfare agencies which served such youth within their primary mission of serving youth in foster care, foster care prevention, and related programs. The project was funded by a grant from the NY Community Trust to Inwood House, one of the three partner agencies. Through an ongoing partnership of the Directors, that included strategic planning and assistance with data collection, each agency hired a P2P coordinator who had the primary staffing role for the programs and services. Additional program staff were hired, where needed, and other front-line staff received training to focus on unique aspects of teen pregnancy and parenting, and to implement or adapt specific existing programs and services.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/3
Y1 - 2020/3
N2 - Parenting teens and young women who are in or transitioning out of foster care face unique challenges. Three NYC child welfare agencies created the Passport to Parenting (P2P) initiative in 2011 in a strategic partnership designed to build capacity to serve the special needs of pregnant and parenting teens. The program included direct services to young mothers, staff development and technical support by one agency that had historically served this unique population. A qualitative program evaluation was conducted, including focus groups with 36 parenting young women who had participated in P2P services and interviews with 11 key staff of the three partnering agencies. Qualitative data were coded through thematic analysis. Despite significant changes in leadership, structure, and staffing across the partner agencies over the project period, a strong collaboration and partnership persisted, serving the myriad needs of this unique population. From the young women's perspective, the provider agencies’ programming had enhanced their parenting skills, confidence, and resources. At the same time, they reflected on a child welfare system that sometimes supported their dependency and, to protect their babies, often saw them with suspicion. With a commitment to services ranging from pregnancy prevention to parenting, mental health, mentoring, and educational, financial, and other instrumental programming, the Passport to Parenting (P2P) initiative provided opportunities for growth and support for young mothers, within a child welfare system that faces many challenges to meeting its own standards of care for pregnant and parenting teens in the system.
AB - Parenting teens and young women who are in or transitioning out of foster care face unique challenges. Three NYC child welfare agencies created the Passport to Parenting (P2P) initiative in 2011 in a strategic partnership designed to build capacity to serve the special needs of pregnant and parenting teens. The program included direct services to young mothers, staff development and technical support by one agency that had historically served this unique population. A qualitative program evaluation was conducted, including focus groups with 36 parenting young women who had participated in P2P services and interviews with 11 key staff of the three partnering agencies. Qualitative data were coded through thematic analysis. Despite significant changes in leadership, structure, and staffing across the partner agencies over the project period, a strong collaboration and partnership persisted, serving the myriad needs of this unique population. From the young women's perspective, the provider agencies’ programming had enhanced their parenting skills, confidence, and resources. At the same time, they reflected on a child welfare system that sometimes supported their dependency and, to protect their babies, often saw them with suspicion. With a commitment to services ranging from pregnancy prevention to parenting, mental health, mentoring, and educational, financial, and other instrumental programming, the Passport to Parenting (P2P) initiative provided opportunities for growth and support for young mothers, within a child welfare system that faces many challenges to meeting its own standards of care for pregnant and parenting teens in the system.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104808
DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104808
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85078728845
SN - 0190-7409
VL - 110
JO - Children and Youth Services Review
JF - Children and Youth Services Review
M1 - 104808
ER -