Discuss effective interventions for adolescent parents.

The most difficult and costly way to deal with adolescent parenthood is to wait until it happens. Young parents need health care, encouragement to stay in school, job training, instruction in parenting and life-management skills, and high-quality, affordable child care. Schools that provide these services reduce the incidence of low-birth-weight babies, increase educational success, and prevent additional childbearing. Adolescent mothers also benefit from relationships with family members and other adults who are sensitive to their developmental needs. Those with more social support report reduced levels of depression during the year after giving birth. In one study, African-American teenage mothers who had a long-term “mentor” relationship—an aunt, neighbor, or teacher who provided emotional support and guidance—were far more likely than those without a mentor to stay in school and graduate. Home visiting programs are also effective. Programs focusing on fathers attempt to increase their financial and emotional commitment to the baby. Although half of young fathers visit their children during the first few years, contact usually diminishes over time. As with teenage mothers, support from family members helps fathers stay involved. Mothers who receive financial and child-care assistance and emotional support from their child’s father are less distressed and more likely to sustain a relationship with him. And children with lasting ties to their teenage fathers show better long-term adjustment.