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Child & Teen Services: Introduction
Teen parents often face problems that make
it difficult for them to support themselves and their children.
Young parents may drop out of school, and without an education
or work experience, it's hard for them to find jobs. They and
their children sometimes confront challenges ranging from poverty
and repeat pregnancy to substance abuse and child neglect.
The Perinatal Council helps pregnant and parenting teens:
1) learn to care for themselves and their babies
2) continue their education
3) find jobs and become self-sufficient
We begin our care for the family during pregnancy by providing
outstanding healthcare services for the mother before, during,
and after the birth of her child. Once the child is born, we
help parents be the best moms and dads they can be. We teach
them about child development, appropriate behavior, and effective
discipline. We also show them how to create a positive, nurturing
home life.
Case management is an important part of our services. The Case
Manager forms a one-to-one relationship with each client and
serves as a trusted friend and advocate for the client and the
entire family. For some clients, the Case Manager may be their
first and only positive role model. Case Managers also offer
emotional support as young men and women make the important
transition to parenthood.
Equally important, Case Managers link families to community
agencies that provide housing, educational assistance, childcare,
healthcare, and vocational guidance. The Perinatal Council partners
with many other agencies, and with their assistance, we can
offer faster access to an array of services that make it easier
for families to be more cohesive, healthy and self-sufficient.
The following programs are designed especially for teens and
their children:
Services
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Adolescent
Family Life Program (AFLP)
Clients are pregnant/parenting teens aged 12-21 in Contra
Costa and Alameda counties, and their partners.
Goals:
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Reduce low birth weight, infant mortality, and other
adverse pregnancy outcomes
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Reduce school drop-out, repeat adolescent pregnancy,
and child abuse and neglect
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Promote nurturing environment for babies of teen parents
by enhancing parenting skills and encouraging young
fathers to participate actively in the lives of their
children
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Cal-Learn
Clients
are pregnant/parenting teens aged 12-19 receiving Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) public assistance
benefits in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Goals:
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Encourage teens to complete high school by providing
assistance with child care, transportation, and school
expenses
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Reduce or eliminate dependence on public assistance
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Every
Child Counts
Clients are children (0-5 years of age) of pregnant or
parenting teens in AFLP and Cal-Learn programs in Alameda
County.
Goals:
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Stimulate and promote children's growth, learning,
and school readiness
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Encourage appropriate parent-child interactions
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Enhance parenting and discipline skills
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Project
Crossroads
Clients are non-pregnant, non-parenting siblings, aged
11-18, of pregnant or parenting teens in AFLP or Cal-Learn
in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Goals:
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Prevent early and unplanned pregnancy
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Improve self-esteem; educate clients about life options
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Encourage school attendance or return to school; connect
clients with needed resources
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Supporting
Transitions to Employment (STEP)
Clients are current or former Cal-Learn participants aged
16-21 in Contra Costa County and the City of Oakland.
Goals:
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Help every pregnant/parenting teen recipient of Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) in Contra Costa
County and the City of Oakland make a successful transition
from Cal-Learn to meaningful work
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Inform clients of all options in the Welfare-to-Work
program
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Enroll appropriate candidates in a county-approved
Self-Initiated Program—an 18-24 month certificate
program at a community college, enabling students
to find employment that will permit self-sufficiency.
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