Teens Build Healthy Families

Most of us think of the teen years as a time of possibility and a chance to have fun before beginning work or college. But for some teens, these years take on a different meaning – parenthood.

Camilla* was 18 and living with her mother when she discovered that she was pregnant. Unmarried and unemployed, Camilla needed help. Luckily she learned about the JF&CS Healthy Families program and began a connection that would help her create a strong, happy family.
For the past 10 years, Healthy Families has been helping teenagers from ages 14 to 20 create the stable family life they deserve with a network of services that address their needs from peer support to housing and nutrition, to immigration status and beyond.

After joining Healthy Families, Camilla began receiving intensive weekly home visiting services to help her prepare for the birth of her child. She was committed to having a healthy child and to overcoming the many obstacles in her path.

Being a parent is challenging for most adults, but for teens it’s a huge leap. Program Manager Sue Green, MEd, said, “The demands of parenting are not compatible with adolescence. It’s a very egocentric age. Teens are trying on different personas and just want to get out of the house and have freedom. With a baby, all of these plans have to be postponed.”

Over the next three years, with a JF&CS home visitor by her side, Camilla worked hard to strengthen her relationship with the baby’s father, move into subsidized housing, obtain Mass Health, and, most importantly, get her green card and a social security card.

The JF&CS home visitor, Andrea Siani, also worked closely with Camilla to address the medical needs of her son Miguel* who had a complicated delivery and suffered from oxygen deprivation at birth. At four months old, it became evident that Miguel had very low muscle tone and required specialized care. Andrea helped Camilla find a new pediatrician, interpret the medical process and paperwork, and set new goals to follow up on the health care needs of her child, which included leg braces, two eye surgeries, and speech therapy.

Healthy Families worked with Tony*, Miguel’s father, who wanted to learn how to become a better parent, choose a career path, and strengthen his relationship with Camilla. Tony also had a five-year-old son from a previous relationship. Andrea helped Tony, who had been grossly misjudged by the court, find a pro bono lawyer and address the court’s mistakes to protect his older son from abuse. After a four-month investigation, a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem recommended that Tony be his son’s primary caretaker.

Andrea said, “My job is to help young parents develop the skills to go forward, to give them the strength and resources to overcome obstacles, and to empower them to set goals and keep moving toward them. These young people have learned that they can advocate for themselves and their children. They were a joy to work with.”

Happily, Camilla and Tony have married, found housing, and are both working. Miguel has started school in a special needs classroom and is actively running everywhere.

His older brother attends kindergarten within walking distance of home. With the guidance of Healthy Families, this young couple has gotten the support they needed to be successful as parents and as individuals.

*Names changed to protect privacy.