MOAPPP Adolescent Parent eNews

MOAPPP Adolescent Parent eNews

February 2011


We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.

-Marian Wright Edelman

Announcements

Please Tell Us What You Think About Your Work with Pregnant and Parenting Teens!

MOAPPP is partnering with Stephanie Dibb, a graduate clinical social work student at the University of St. Thomas, to discover how service providers working with pregnant and parenting teenagers perceive teenage pregnancy and what services your program offers. It is a quick 14-question survey (shouldn’t take more than five minutes) and responses are anonymous. You will be asked to electronically sign a consent form before you start the survey stating you agree to participate. All participation would be greatly appreciated and valued! Click here to take the survey.


Minneapolis Teen Parent Connection Comes Back!!

A meeting was held January 31 and another will be scheduled later in February. If you’d like to join a group of professionals who work with teen parents in the city of Minneapolis, please contact [email protected] to be included on the contact list.

Other New Teen Parent Connection Areas:

Faribault/Rice County
Would you be interested in forming a Teen Parent Connection professional group in this area? There has been some interest expressed. Contact [email protected] if you would like to participate in a group in Rice County.

Ramsey County
We had a bit of a false start last year for a new Ramsey County Teen Parent Connection. We can try again to come together in March. If you are interested in this group, please contact [email protected].


Performance Management Leadership Institute

To help nonprofit leaders in areas of management and leadership, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) is currently recruiting participants specifically from Northern/Central Minnesota for our newest leadership program, the Performance Management Leadership Institute. MCN’s nine-month Performance Management Leadership Institute has been created for nonprofit staff and board members who are passionate about leading their organizations to higher levels of effectiveness and community impact. Interested professionals can apply for this unique opportunity to gain information and skills to become a more effective leader and create a more dynamic organization.

Sign up for a free, informational webinar on February 22, 12:00-1:00 p.m. RSVP at www.mncn.org or by calling Paul Masiarchin at [email protected], 651-757-3087 (RSVP is required).


February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

In honor of Teen Dating Violence Awareness month, the sexual violence prevention program at the Minnesota Department of Health has created a friendly game of weekly quizzes to test people’s knowledge on the intersections of Teen Dating Violence with other areas in public health. Click here to take the quiz and enter a drawing to win a prize!

In the News

Broadway School Students Facing Challenges

Issues surrounding Broadway School’s awarding of credits to pregnant and parenting students in Minneapolis have been reported in the news. See the following news stories:

  • January 27, Minnesota Public Radio
  • January 18, Star Tribune
  • January 9, Star Tribune Editorial
  • January 4, Minnesota Public Radio
  • January 4, Star Tribune

Please note that concern has been expressed by many in the community that the news stories above do not reflect the whole story. Meanwhile, if you have clients who are or were students at Broadway School and need assistance in referring them to appropriate services, please contact [email protected] or check the MOAPPP APN Resource Guide.

Research

 

Low-Income Teen Fathers’ Trajectory of Involvement: The Influence of Individual, Contextual, and Coparental Factors

Doctoral dissertation (PDF) that provides a portrait of Early Head Start teen fathers’ involvement throughout early childhood and salient influences on that involvement.


Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbirth – United States, 1991-2008

Giving birth to a child during the adolescent years frequently is associated with long-term adverse consequences for the mother and her child that often are attributable in part to fragile family structure and limited social support and financial resources. Compared with infants born to adult women, infants born to adolescent females are at elevated risk for preterm birth, low birth weight, or death during infancy. This report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzes trends and variations in adolescent pregnancy and birth rates.


Childhood Bullying as a Predictor for Becoming a Teenage Mother in Finland

The aim of this study from European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry is to examine the association between bullying behavior at the age of eight and becoming a mother under the age of 20. This birth cohort study included 2,867 Finnish girls at baseline in 1989. There is a predictive association between being a bully in childhood and becoming a mother in adolescence. It may be useful to target bullies for teenage pregnancy prevention.


Intimate Partner Violence Among Pregnant and Parenting Latina Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and extent of mutual violence among a sample of pregnant and parenting Latina adolescent females and their partners. Discussion of the context of psychological, physical and sexual aggression in adolescent relationships suggests alternative approaches to prevention of intimate partner violence among adolescents.


Reactions to Participating in Dating Violence Research: Are Our Questions Distressing Participants?

In recent years, there has been increased research focus on dating violence, producing important information for reducing these violent relationships. Some are hesitant to ask questions about dating violence due to the concern that such questions may be disturbing for teens. This current study examined the reactions among college students to completing a self-report measure on dating violence. Results showed that participants reported numerous positive experiences as a result of their research participation, with only mildly increased negative emotional reactions evident for some.

Resources

From Baby to Big Kid: Month 23

Learn about how toddler development unfolds between 18 to 24 months and what parents can do to support his learning and growing.

Upcoming MOAPPP Trainings

February 24, 2011
Meeting the Unique Needs of Adolescent Mothers and Fathers

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Minnesota Department of Education
1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville

Adolescent parent programs strive to facilitate long-term self-sufficiency, build parenting capacity and ensure the healthy growth and development of the children born to young parents. This workshop examines adolescent development; national and state data related to adolescent parents; systems that impact adolescent parents; strengths, opportunities and challenges young parents bring to their new role; and current research on best practices for working with adolescent parents. Participants will also learn practical tips for helping adolescent parents understand their children’s perspective, fun ways to communicate parenting concepts and other activities for use with young families.

For more information, see the flyer and registration form (PDF). Click here to register online. Questions? Contact Sue at 651-644-1447 x15, [email protected].


March 14-15, 2011
It’s That Easy! Parent Educator Training

8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Plato Conference Center
90 W. Plato Blvd, Saint Paul

If you work with parents/caregivers of children aged birth to 18, you are in a unique position to support them in their critical role as sexuality educators for their children. However, sexuality is not always easy to discuss. Come learn tools and techniques to engage parents/caregivers in developmentally appropriate approaches to raising sexually healthy children. Participants receive the It’s That Easy! resource manual, a comprehensive guide designed to help you work with parents in your community.

For more information and to register, see the flyer and registration form (PDF). Click here to register online. Questions? Contact Jocelyn at 651-644-1447 x19, [email protected].

Other Upcoming Trainings

Winter/Spring 2011
University of Minnesota Center for Early Education and Development Online Course Sessions

  1. February 14-April 18, 2011
    Parent-Infant Pathways: An Educator’s Guide to Providing Information and Support to New Parents
  2. February 14-May 23, 2011
    Seeing is Believing: Videotaping families and using guided self-observation to build on parenting strengths
  3. February 21-April 25, 2011
    Introduction to Infant Mental Health
  4. February 28-May 2, 2011
    Premature Babies and Their Parents: Information and Insights for Early Intervention Personnel
  5. March 7-May 9, 2011
    Bridging Education and Mental Health
  6. March 14-May 16, 2011
    Prenatal Development and its Influence on Child Development: A Foundational Course on the Parent-Infant Relationship

For more information, contact Karen Anderson at 612-625-6617 or [email protected]. Click here to register online.


March 29-30, 2011
Building Brighter Futures
Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota’s Annual Conference

Crowne Plaza Hotel, St. Paul

This year’s conference will focus on preventing neglect, ending racial disparities and understanding brain development. Keynote speakers include Dr. L. Read Sulik, MN Department of Human Services and Dr. Alvin Poussaint, Harvard Medical School. Conference workshops focus on a variety of topics including promoting resilience in children, emotional intelligence and addiction. For more information and to register, visit www.pcamn.org.


For more resources and information about adolescent parents, visit the Adolescent Parent Program page on the MOAPPP website.