Parenting

Our Pregnant and Parenting Youth Initiative seeks to ensure support for young parents in attaining their educational goals. The Young Parent Alliance, a group of pregnant and parenting youth and allies, ages 20 and younger, advocates for programs and services in Chicago Public Schools that help young parents complete their education. YPA also develops ideas to increase public awareness of the challenges young parents face in their schools and communities.

Pregnant and Parenting Youth Have Rights

Reproductive justice includes the right to continue a pregnancy to term and become a parent. Youth who decide to become young parents should be supported in their decision.

But pregnant and parenting youth face significant challenges as they balance the demands of completing their educational goals, care for their children, navigate their own adolescent and try to forge a safe and healthy future for themselves. Despite their struggles, young parents are resilient and versatile, working to achieve health and success for themselves and their families.

In many schools, young parents face stigma and discrimination from their peers and teachers. But according to Title IX, a federal law ensuring gender equity, students may not be treated differently because of their actual or potential parental, family, or marital status. The law specifies that students may not be excluded from an educational program or activity, including any class or extracurricular activity, on the basis of their pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination, or recovery from pregnancy.

Endorse Our Campaign

Created by YPA, the Pregnant and Parenting Youth Bill of Rights outlines several key rights young parents have to be successful students.
Read and show your support for the Bill of Rights. If you wish to support our YPA campaign, please sign this letter of endorsement as an individual and/or on behalf of your organization. Read and sign the endorsement letter.

Young Parent Alliance Testifies to Chicago Public Schools

YPA member Terrance testified at the December 16, 2009 Chicago Public Schools Board of Education meeting. Terrance shared his personal story as a young father to encourage the Board and CEO to ensure supportive services for pregant and parenting young people in school. Read Terrance's full testimony.

Resources

ICAH publishes the following young parent resources for public education and advocacy:

• Pregnant and Parenting Youth: Policy Recommendations for Chicago Public Schools
• Public Benefit Policies for Teen Parents
• The Housing Crisis: Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Illinois
• Young Parents and Education Survey
• Young Parents Take Action

For more information or to find out how to get involved with the Young Parent Alliance, please contact pregnant and parenting youth advocate Pleasant Radford, Jr. or call 312.427.4460 x227.