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Program gives aid to teenage parents

By Bill Gallo , Special to the Rocky

Published January 26, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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One dramatic effect of the counseling Parent Pathways provides to teen parents and their families has been the increasing involvement of young men in the well-being of their children.

Parent Pathways provides alternative schooling, direct housing assistance and family education to teenage parents, most of them Hispanic. About one-fourth of fathers get and stay involved. Nationally, statistics show that only one in 10 teen fathers takes any responsibility.

"If we can foster the idea of a father being engaged in a positive way, we want to do that," said Executive director Noreen Keleshian.

In this interview, Keleshian and Pathways community relations coordinator Kari Buchanan discuss their educational and counseling programs. Their remarks have been edited for space and clarity.

The agency has applied for Season to Share funding.

What is the basic tool of your agency?

Education is the key, so we aim at a high school diploma or a GED, primarily through the Florence Crittenton School for Teenage Mothers, 96 S. Zuni St. At any one time we have about 170 pregnant and parenting teen moms attending. We have on-site child care for about 60 babies and the outreach program for the young fathers and/or husbands of the young women in school. We have a private/public partnership with Denver Public Schools (DPS), and under their guidelines a student can be up to 21 years old.

How does your housing program work?

We help young parents with transitional housing and supportive services when they reach an age to live on their own. They tend to be post-high school; some are working on a GED or taking community college classes. Most of them are 18 or older, legal age to have their first apartments; the age range in our housing, which landlords agree to provide at low market rates, is 16 to 25. The residents may stay up to two years.

Any changes in the client profile?

Not really. The population we serve is 80 percent Hispanic; that's the specific niche we are helping. But over the last two or three years we have begun seeing more immigrant families, for whom Spanish is their first language and, in some cases, their only language. The language problem increases the difficulty in working with their families, and, because some are undocumented workers, they are unable to get public support. In recent years we've also seen an increase in young parents who don't have safe places to live - more tenuous living situations for these young women.

How do you encourage the dads?

We work individually with them, one-on-one. Some young men need to get back into school, a GED program or vocational training. Sometimes they've been through vocational programs they don't have skills for. Some need to establish paternity; others need a break from gang involvement.

How effective is your reach? How many young mothers are you not getting to?

A few statistics: In the calendar year 2006 there were 1,160 babies born to mothers ages 13-19 in Denver County, according to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. Of the 18 and 19 year-olds, only 37 percent had a high school diploma. Our usual profile: the girl doesn't have strong support from family and is probably behind in grade level; more than 50 percent have dropped out of school. Frequently, it's the pregnancy or the birth of the baby that drives them over the edge. We kind of become the family.

Parent Pathways

* Mission: Helping teen parents raise healthy families.

* Founded: 1975

* People helped: 550-600 young parents each year

* Staff: 54

* Volunteers: 600

* Budget: $3.7 million

* Web site: parentpathways.org

Comments

  • January 27, 2008

    1 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    vudumom writes:

    This is a huge waste of money .The people who claim illegals don't get benefits need to look at this program so they can stop their lies.Come on 80% Hispanic?Doesn't this prove that illegals breed and breed and breed.All the while they bleed and bleed and bleed the American tax payers dry. Our citizens can't get services like that.We have to jump through hoops and mountains of paperwork.
    I have a best friend who has a rare inoperable tumor and she can't get any medical help to pay her bills. She is 100% disabled and worked her whole life only to be turned down for Social Security Disability.She has a tumor wrapped around her organs and is now speading up her back and her kidneys are failing.You would think an american citizen could get help. She has gotten nothing!The hospitals are now going after her for thousands of dollars for her medical care.
    People wonder why the American public is fed up with illegals and parents that are illegal but have children born here and milking the American public for every dime they can squeeze out of us.
    They get pregnant at 13 ! This is comeplete bullcrap and I for one am tired of watching citizens and veterens not get treated with the same respect and benefits that the illegals and their breeder children are robbing the U.S. blind of.

    When is enough going to be enough!!!!

  • January 28, 2008

    1:34 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    WHS_farsila writes:

    LET NOT FORGET THAT MOST OF THE SOLDIERS FIGHTING IN IRAQ ARE HISPANIC, ANY OTHER RACE THAT NOT NATIVE AMERICAN WOULD BE AN ILLEGAL ALIEN TOO,AND HISPANICS ARE THE ONES DOING THE WORK OTHERS WONT DO SO IF WE WOULDNT HAVE THEM, THEN WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT THEM. SO I DONT SEE WHY NOT HAVE THIS PROGRAM FOR TEEN PARENTS.

  • February 6, 2008

    8:18 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    vudumom writes:

    Where are you getting your information that most of the soldiers in Iraq are hispanic.I find that statement to be way off base,no pun intended.

  • February 6, 2008

    2:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    paige4199 writes:

    First of all - as someone who did their time in the military, most of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Marines are NOT hispanic. As for Parent Pathways - before passing judgment, why don't you take the time to learn more about the program. What you have read here are excerpts and edited versions of the interview. I am a landlord that works with Parent Pathways. I do this because Parent Pathways helps these young women become productive citizens in society. Parent Pathways also helps provide for safe housing during the most critical times in a child's life - the first couple of years. These mothers have to work hard to stay in the program - nothing is handed to them. They are learning self-sufficency. They are responsible for a portion of the rent and all utilities that the landlord doesn't pay, as well as the rest of their expenses. These women have jobs as well as go to school to continue to their education. And my experience has been that most of these teenage mothers have no one else to turn to to ask for help. This program provides counseling as well. These mothers are off the street, in safe housing and are providing for their child as best as they can. Don't judge lest ye be judged.

  • February 7, 2008

    1:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    redwhiteandBLUE writes:

    Sheeeesh!! They need to start with birth control. 80% undocumented.
    This is ....ridiculous.

  • June 5, 2008

    2:33 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ladida writes:

    paige4199 - how do these girls get jobs if they are "undocumented"? Where does the funding for this program come from?

  • July 19, 2008

    10:57 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    SL10 writes:

    I am a disabled vet who gets f'ed over by the gov't while illegals and fake homeless get free medical care and housing plus welfare. God bless America. Makes me want to be an illegal or fake homeless person. At least I can get my due. Eh?