The Teenage Parent Program (TPP) is a voluntary program provided by Palm Beach County Schools to provide comprehensive and ancillary services for pregnant and parenting teens to facilitate the completion of coursework necessary to earn a high school diploma. Students who are pregnant, as well as teen mothers and fathers, are supported in becoming responsible parents and completing requirements for graduation. While in the program, students receive support services such as child care, health care, social services, parenting education and transportation. The Teenage Parent Program works directly with Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies to assist pregnant and parenting students in accessing a variety of programs through Healthy Beginnings to support a healthy pregnancy and healthy birth.
Participants in TPP must take at least one parenting skills course while continuing to earn credits toward a standard or special diploma. Palm Beach Virtual High School also offers the Parenting Skills course. Students who have completed the parenting course continue to receive support services while enrolled in their high school diploma program.
School Year 2014-2015, the Teen Parent Program served a total of 255 students – 11 middle school students and 244 high school students and child care services were provided at licensed early childhood care centers and licensed family child care homes for 156 children of teen parents. The School District of Palm Beach County and the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County work together to assist students who need child care through the TPP and after graduation from high school through local funding.
In May 2015 the School District of Palm Beach County participated in the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy for our seventh year. The purpose of the campaign is to bring attention to preventing teen pregnancy and the fact that “It can happen to you.” Students go on line and take a scenario based quiz. This year 3,074 students went to the PBCTeens.org website and took the quiz. The School District of Palm Beach County created supplemental curriculum for teachers to use after students have taken the quiz. The supplemental materials were added to the Human Growth and
Development curriculum for teachers who incorporate the quiz into their classroom curriculum.
This year, students from Boynton Beach High School’s played key roles in championing and spreading the message of teen pregnancy prevention over the course of the month of May. Students presented Teen Health and Game Day at Boynton Beach High School and encouraged their peers to take the quiz and educate themselves when it comes to personal responsibility.
Students from G Star: School of the Arts for Film, Animation and the Performing Arts produced a PSA video for the Primary Prevention Committee to use in promoting the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Thank you G Star for a job well done.
In addition, Proclamations for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy were presented by The Board of County Commissioners, Palm Beach County and the School District of Palm Beach County giving support to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
Only 40% of teen moms finish high school and less than 2% - of those who have a baby before 18 – finish college by age 30.