Based on three studies of unwed mothers, a demonstration project was designed to provide information concerning the problems of adapting to the community following a maternity home experience. Ten girls from one home were selected for group therapy. Six case studies are provided which include a case summary, psychiatric interview, assessment of…

Adolescent sexual activity and the resulting pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases have been on the rise during the past several decades. This chapter addresses each of the three objectives regarding sexual behavior outlined in the Healthy People 2000 initiative. Background data and trends in adolescent sexual behavior are…

Administered an anonymous questionnaire to pregnant adolescents living at a residential facility in a southwestern city while they were in the process of deciding whether to keep their infant or place it for adoption. Found that contextual variables influenced the choice of placing for adoption, including family background and interaction…

Proposed welfare reform could be detrimental to the education and employment opportunities of poor rural women and children. Describes the educational experiences of women who have attended the Low Country Human Development Center (LCHDC) (South Carolina). For the past 20 years, the LCHDC has provided pregnant teenagers with a high school…

Explored patterns of substance use and sexual behavior among pregnant adolescents under age 18. Data were examined for associations between a history of early forced sexual intercourse and indicators of psychological, behavioral, and social problems during adolescence. Many pregnant adolescents were found to have experienced early forced sexual…

Pregnant and parenting teenagers account for a sizable and growing proportion of the population served by public schools. Pregnant and parenting students face significant barriers to academic achievement, largely because traditional school environments often conflict with the competing demands of pregnancy and child rearing. Moreover, the children…

This book presents research results relating to historical trends in the AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) caseload, the personal characteristics and patterns of welfare participation in a nationally representative sample of young women followed over a 13-year period, and an evaluative survey of the effectiveness of past education,…

The seven short stories in this collection portray the lives of Puerto Rican children and adolescents in the South Bronx (New York City). The hopelessness of many Puerto Rican and Black youth is vividly depicted in stories dealing with drug use, discrimination, unwanted and early pregnancy, and a host of other urban social ills. Titles of the…

In this report of a hearing on infants' and children's health, two factsheets present information on the lack of recent progress in reducing infant mortality rates; the accessibility of prenatal care; low birthweight; nutrition; inadequate child health care; health risks for low-income children; the lack of adequate health insurance; the health…

Students in the Culebra Road GED/JOBS (General Educational Development/Job Opportunities and Basic Skills) class, an adult education class for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) students, created their own website. First, students completed a computer literacy survey to gauge their computer skills. Next, students were encouraged to…

This bulletin explores the social, economic, and demographic trends that have contributed to the changing structure of the American family. Sections of the document discuss: (1) definitions of household and family; (2) types of families, including married couples with and without children and single-parent families; (3) living arrangements of…

Noting that the preceding two decades have seen a dramatic growth in the proportion of families that are headed by women, this book explores the causes and implications of this development. The book bring together information on the past and present prevalence of mother-headed families in different countries. It then considers the various…

This study was conducted to compare the factors that student dropouts report as contributing to their dropping out of school with those factors that "at-risk" students report as influencing their attitudes toward school. These two sets of factors, assessed in two separate studies, include in-school and out-of-school experiences, socioeconomic…

Statistics are presented for eight measures of child and adolescent health, education, and social and economic well-being in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Indicators measured were: (1) percent low birth weight babies; (2) infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births); (3) child death rate ages 1-14 (per 100,000 children); (4)…

The proceedings of a House of Representatives hearing on opportunities for self-sufficiency for single women in poverty are presented in this document. Included are statements presented by three panels consisting of experts in the field of welfare and employment policy, the General Accounting Office, and representatives of the National Association…