Project Summary:
Teen parents in Wisconsin face significant health disparities, with lower rates of early and adequate prenatal care, higher rates of preterm births, and increased incidence of postpartum depression compared to older parents. In Dane County, approximately 30 documented teen parents in Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) high schools currently receive limited support, with only eight accessing the district's intensive parenting program annually. School nurses and health service workers, operating at a ratio of 1 nurse to 750 students, struggle to provide comprehensive support to this vulnerable group.
The Young Parent Collective and MMSD will implement a school-based support model that integrates health, mental health, and educational services for teen parents while they are in school. The project will engage recent teen parent graduates, school staff, healthcare providers, and community partners to develop and implement a comprehensive support system. This approach includes tailored health assessments, connections to prenatal care and doulas, mental health counseling, peer support networks, and educational mentoring to address the unique challenges faced by teen parents.
This pilot project aims to create a scalable model that can be implemented across Wisconsin schools to improve both health and educational outcomes for teen parents. The ultimate goal is to develop a toolkit and implementation guide that can be used by other school districts, reducing health disparities and improving educational access for teen parents throughout the state.
Community Partners: Young Parent Collective, Public Health Madison & Dane County