The teenage mothers we serve, having had insufficient parenting role models themselves, lack the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to raise their children in such a way that they will develop appropriately and be ready for school.  The Illinois Department of Children reported that child abuse cases rose more than 5.8% in the state in 2008—and in Chicago, child abuse cases rose more than 9%, making our services even more crucial.

Our participants are highly unlikely to access prenatal care, for a multitude of reasons, including their age, marital status, and income levels.  Adolescent mothers, especially those aged 15 or younger, are at high risk of obtaining late or no prenatal care.  Unmarried women are three times more likely to obtain late or no prenatal care.  Women living in poverty—especially in inner cities—consistently show low rates of prenatal care.  The Parents as Teachers program can begin at any stage of a pregnancy, and connects pregnant participants to prenatal care as soon as possible.

Women living in poverty, adolescent parents, and inner-city women are considered significantly less likely to keep children’s immunizations up-to-date and access well-child care.  These shortfalls are exacerbated by the fact that our participants are adolescents, who may not understand the benefits and schedule of immunizations.  They lack access to health insurance, and may not know how to access well-child care.  Our Parents as Teachers program assists these young women in enrolling their children in healthcare programs, and rewards them for keeping immunizations up-to-date.

Further, a recent study by Yale University found that Parents as Teachers improves parenting practices, providing in-home parent mentoring with hands-on parent-child activities, which lead to both school readiness and academic achievement.