Featured Grant OpportunitySchool Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) (Funding Opportunity) 

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Featured Grant OpportunityResearch on Law Enforcement Responses to Opioid Overdoses (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityComprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) Program (Funding Opportunity)

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Featured Grant OpportunityPersonnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--Doctoral...

Featured Grant OpportunityStanding Announcement for Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grants (Funding Opportunity)

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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -  Expectant and Parenting Young Families 
            -           Special Populations      

# Special Populations

Special populations of expectant and parenting young families have unique needs that can affect how they should receive services. The following special populations are more likely to be underserved and vulnerable to negative health and well-being outcomes for themselves and their child. The services provided to these expectant and parenting young families should be culturally competent and sensitive to their past experiences.

***Foster Youth/******Transitioning Youth***

Foster youth, or transitioning youth, are at a greater risk for experiencing negative health, education, and well-being outcomes in comparison to non-foster youth.1 This disparity is exacerbated when foster youth become parents at a young age, most especially when they are about to transition or they are transitioning out of foster care.2 Foster youth are more likely to become an expectant/parenting young person than non-foster youth, and would benefit from programming designed to address their special needs.3 In particular, foster youth aging out of the system who are also a parent have been found to have higher rates of abusive and neglectful parenting behaviors.4

***Youth with Disabilities***

Youth with disabilities are at an elevated risk for early pregnancy and need specific supports and information needs.5 Youth with disabilities who are expectant and/or parenting will need more direct and supportive approaches to help ensure a healthy pregnancy and to learn parenting skills. In particular, they will benefit from targeted educational support, such as tutoring, to help them graduate high school and pursue secondary education or skills training. Additional recommended services include counseling, health services, daycare mentor support, and work/life skills classes that focus on parenting skills, nutrition, and healthy relationship skills.6

***Homeless Youth***

Expectant youth experiencing homelessness and parenting young families experiencing homelessness face a multitude of challenges and often have little to no support to ensure their health and safety. One of the main reasons youth become homeless is because they are running away from an abusive or traumatic home life.7 Another is that young women who become pregnant may leave or be kicked out of their home.8 Youth experiencing homelessness who are expecting or who are already parenting will likely need support in finding safe and reliable housing, permanent employment, and health care. They will also likely benefit from programming that teaches knowledge and skills in parenting, nutrition, and healthy relationships.

***Incarcerated Youth***

Expectant and parenting young women in juvenile correction facilities are at an increased risk for experiencing unplanned and high-risk pregnancies. They also often do not receive adequate prenatal care and nutrition, while being more likely to have experienced domestic violence, mental health issues, and substance abuse.9

In addition to the welfare of the expectant and parenting young families, there is also the concern for the well-being of their children. The most recent reports show that 1 in 28 children in the U.S. have at least one parent that is incarcerated10 and it is estimated that about 30 percent of incarcerated teen males have at least one child.11Young people with incarcerated parents are at greater risk of experiencing poorer mental health, behavioral, and educational outcomes. They are more likely to experience impaired relationships with their incarcerated parent, teen pregnancy, drop out of high school, and use drugs.12 It is crucial to develop and implement programs that support these family relationships while a parent is incarcerated and during their transition to civilian/family life in order to increase the chances of success for these families.13

Although parental visitation and parenting education programs are rare within juvenile correction facilities, there have been some advancements within recent years. For example, one program features low-cost, sustainable parenting and structured visitation for non-custodial incarcerated teen parents.14 The main purpose is to help build a quality relationship between the teen father and his child, rather than just providing information on parenting skills. The emphasis on building the parent-child relationship provides time for physical contact and opportunities for emotional bonds to form and strengthen. So far there have been significant results in the program, showing improvements in “positive high quality interactions” and communication during the parent-child sessions.15

## Resources

**Expectant and Parenting Youth in Foster Care****(PDF, 95 pages)**This resource guide provides information on programming for expectant and parenting youth who are in foster care, in the areas of: parenting supports, developmental supports for children and parents, preparation for adulthood, and other related resources.

**Helping Pregnant and Parenting Teens Find Housing**This webpage from the Healthy Teen Network provides information and resources on how to find housing for pregnant and parenting teens.

**Maternity Group Homes Fact Sheet**This fact sheet from the Family & Youth Services Bureau provides information on maternity group homes and how they can help support homeless pregnant and/or parenting young people between the ages of 16 and 22.

**Parents Aging Out of the Child Welfare System****(PDF, 15 pages)**This report provides an overview of youth in the child welfare system who are at risk for becoming parents, including youth aging out of care. Topics covered include recent research, important issues in this group, and recommendations for policy and practice.

**Right from the Start: Empowering Young Parents for Success**This video describes a Missouri program that helps parents, including hard-to-reach young people like youth who are homeless, gain the skills they need to support their children.

**Supporting Teen Mothers in Foster Care**This overview from SAMHSA provides information on the best approaches to using congregate care for expectant and parenting young families.

## References

1 Courtney, Dworsky, Brown, Cary, Love, Vorhies, et al., 2011; Pecora, Williams, Kessler, Downs, O’Brien, Hiripi, et al., 2003; Reilly, 20032 Schelbe, McWey, Radey, Canto, & Holtrop, 20153 Svoboda, Shaw, Barth, & Bright, 2012; Stevens-Simon, Nelligan, & Kelly, 2001; Whitson, Martinez, Ayala, & Kaufman, 20114 Geiger & Schelbe, 20145 Jones, Woolcock-Henry, & Domenico, 20056 Jones, Woolcock-Henry, & Domenico, 2005; Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center, n.d.7 Smid, Bourgois, & Auerswald, 20108 Meadows-Oliver, 20069 Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women, 201110 Pew Charitable Trusts: Pew Center on the States, 201011 Nurse, 200212 Murray, 2005; Murray & Farrington, 2005; Myers, Smarsh, Amlund-Hagen, & Kennon, 1999; Trice & Brewster, 200413 Barr, Brito, Zocca, Rodriguez, & Shauffer, 201114 Barr et al., 2011, p.155515 Barr et al., 2011

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Agencies 

                          - Children's Bureau
                          - Health Resources and Services Administration
                          - Office of Population Affairs (OPA)

### Announcements 

                          - 2023/2024 Prevention Resource Guide
                          - Brief: What Works in Schools: Evidence-Based Strategies for Your School
                          - Building Staff Co-Regulation to Support Healthy Relationships in Youth: A Guide for Practitioners
                          - HHS Awards $256.6 Million for Equitable and Affordable Title X Family Planning Services Nationwide
                          - Measuring Co-Regulation: A Draft Tool for Observing Educators in Youth-Serving Programs
                          - National Adoption Month 2022
                          - Observance: 2016 National Foster Care Month
                          - Observance: 2023 National Veterans and Military Families Month
                          - Permanency for Youth on Their Own Terms
                          - Report: Building Co-Regulation Capacity to Support Positive Development for Youth with Foster Care Experience
                          - Report: Promoting Healthy Futures: Afterschool Provides the Supports Parents Want for Children’s Well-Being
                          - Report: The State of Family-School Partnerships: Findings from a Survey of Public-School Parents
                          - Resource: 2016 National Foster Care Month Microsite
                          - Resource: 2022 Adoption Month Outreach Toolkit
                          - Resource: A Handbook for Military Families: Helping You with Child Support
                          - Resource: Activities for Dads and Kids
                          - Resource: Addressing Trauma and Mass Violence
                          - Resource: AFFIRM Caregiver: Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Caregivers of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning (LGBTQ+) Populations
                          - Resource: Awkward Conversations, Season 2
                          - Resource: Awkward Conversations, Season 3
                          - Resource: Back to School Checklist for Parents
                          - Resource: Back-to-school with MyPlate
                          - Resource: Be Prepared to Have the Difficult Conversation
                          - Resource: Bullying Prevention for Parents of Middle School Students
                          - Resource: Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Resource Guide
                          - Resource: Child Safety Forward Implementation Study Final Report
                          - Resource: Child Welfare in the News
                          - Resource: Children on the Autism Spectrum: Search Protocols and Questionnaire for First Responders
                          - Resource: Co-Regulation in Human Services
                          - Resource: Co-regulation: What It Is and Why it Matters Video
                          - Resource: Coaching Steps for Families
                          - Resource: Common Questions About Vaccines
                          - Resource: Connecting Conversations
                          - Resource: Considering Family Context as an Important Element in the Prevention and Intervention of the Development of Teen Dating Violence
                          - Resource: Department of Defense School Liaison Program
                          - Resource: Did You Know?
                          - Resource: Drug and Alcohol Use Video Series
                          - Resource: Emoji Drug Code: Decoded
                          - Resource: Encouraging Families to Visit a Literacy Website: A Randomized Study of the Impact of Email and Text Message Communications
                          - Resource: Epilepsy at School
                          - Resource: Essentials for Parenting Teens
                          - Resource: Establish an Emergency Action Plan
                          - Resource: Establishing Rules – Tips for Talking to Your Child about Appropriate Digital Behavior and Content
                          - Resource: Extended BMI-for-Age Growth Charts
                          - Resource: Family Survival Guide Video Library
                          - Resource: From Complaint to Resolution: Understanding the Child Welfare Grievance Process
                          - Resource: Get Yourself Tested (GYT) for High Schools
                          - Resource: Getting Ahead of a Problem
                          - Resource: Going to a Public Disaster Shelter During the COVID-19 Pandemic
                          - Resource: Guidance for Immigrant and Refugee Families: Parenting in a New Country
                          - Resource: Guidance for Immigrant and Refugee Families: The Child Welfare System
                          - Resource: Guides for How to Incorporate Coregulation with Older Youth in Foster Care
                          - Resource: Having the Normalcy Conversation
                          - Resource: Healthy Snacks: Quick Tips for Parents
                          - Resource: Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight
                          - Resource: Helping Fathers Manage Their Children’s Screen Time
                          - Resource: How to Talk About Bullying
                          - Resource: How to Talk About Mental Health: For Parents and Caregivers
                          - Resource: How to Talk to Your Children about Conflict and War
                          - Resource: How to Text Message Parents to Reduce Chronic Absence Using an Evidence-Based Approach
                          - Resource: Improving Services for Expectant and Parenting Youth in Care
                          - Resource: In-Home Services to Strengthen Children and Families
                          - Resource: Internet Safety
                          - Resource: Intra-Agency Task Force on Reproductive Health
                          - Resource: It’s All Relative: Supporting Kinship Care Discussion Guides and Video Series
                          - Resource: Maintaining Cultural Connections  
                          - Resource: Maltreatment in Foster Care
                          - Resource: Mental Health Matters, Why Black Dad’s Positive Mental Health Is Good for Youth Academic Outcomes
                          - Resource: Most Kids with Parent in Same-Sex Relationship Live with Female Couple
                          - Resource: National Adoption Month Outreach Toolkit
                          - Resource: National Adoption Recruitment Campaign
                          - Resource: National Guidelines for Child and Youth Behavioral Health Crisis Care
                          - Resource: National School Lunch Program
                          - Resource: National Teen Driver Safety Week Materials
                          - Resource: One Pill Can Kill Campaign
                          - Resource: PAF Program Videos
                          - Resource: Parenting Your Adopted Teenager
                          - Resource: Partnering with Relatives to Promote Reunification
                          - Resource: Placement Stability
                          - Resource: Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) Program Videos
                          - Resource: Prescription for Disaster: How Teens Misuse Medicine
                          - Resource: Preventing Childhood Obesity: 5 Things Families Can Do
                          - Resource: Preventing Sextortion Among Youth
                          - Resource: Prevention Matters Multimedia Gallery
                          - Resource: Promoting Family and Child Well-Being
                          - Resource: Quick Conversation Guide on COVID-19 Vaccines for Children
                          - Resource: Raise the Bar: Resources for Parents and Families
                          - Resource: Recurrence of Maltreatment
                          - Resource: Reentry to Foster Care
                          - Resource: Seat Belts
                          - Resource: Separating Poverty from Neglect in Child Welfare
                          - Resource: September 2022 Spotlight on Kinship Care
                          - Resource: Sexual Health Resource Toolkit for Parents and Caregivers of Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
                          - Resource: Sleep in Middle and High School Students
                          - Resource: Social Development
                          - Resource: Social Media: Tips for Foster Parents and Caregivers
                          - Resource: Social Media: Understanding a Teen's World
                          - Resource: Standing Together to Prevent Bullying
                          - Resource: State Kinship Care Contacts and Programs
                          - Resource: Stepparent Adoption
                          - Resource: Stop Bullying on the Spot
                          - Resource: Strategies to Help Parents and Families Create Healthy and Supportive School Environments
                          - Resource: Strengthening Kinship Care and Prioritizing Equitable Support for Kinship Caregivers
                          - Resource: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
                          - Resource: Supporting Families with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
                          - Resource: Take Action to Prevent Underage Alcohol Use
                          - Resource: Talking is Power: Tools for Parents
                          - Resource: Teen Driving
                          - Resource: The Indian Child Welfare Act: A Primer for Child Welfare Professionals
                          - Resource: The Power of Partnerships: What Fatherhood Programs Can Learn from Child Welfare
                          - Resource: Tip Sheets on Everyday Parenting Topics
                          - Resource: Tips for Caregivers Supporting Children on the Autism Spectrum
                          - Resource: Tips for Parents and Caregivers of Teens
                          - Resource: Tips to Support Healthy Routines for Children and Teens
                          - Resource: Title X Family Planning Clinic Locator
                          - Resource: Tribal Customary Adoption
                          - Resource: Understanding Child Welfare and the Courts
                          - Resource: Unregulated Custody Transfers of Adopted Children
                          - Resource: When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide
                          - Resource: Why Some Youth Bully
                          - Resource: Working Virtually With Families of LGBTQ+ Youth.
                          - Resource: Working with American Indian Children and Families in Adoption
                          - Resource: Youth Acceptance Project
                          - Resource: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System 2021 Data
                          - Resource: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System 2021 Data
                          - Resource: Youth Voices
                          - Social Media Toolkit: National Reunification Month 2022
                          - Supporting Young Parents
                          - U.S. Department of Education Creates National Parents and Families Engagement Council to Help Ensure Pandemic Recovery Efforts Meet Students’ Needs
                          - U.S. Department of Education Disperses Funds to Support Parents of Children with Disabilities
                          - Webinar Recording: Building Parent Leadership and Power to Support Faster, Lasting Reunification and Prevent System Involvement
                          - Webinar Recording: Giving Hope: Serving and Supporting Fathers with Mental Health Challenges
                          - Working With LGBTQ+ Families in Foster Care and Adoption
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - Lessons Learned
                          - Promising Practices/Accomplishments
                          - Second Chances - Norfolk, VA Sheriff's Office
                          - USDA and the Military: Positive Youth Development
                          - Y2CONNECT.org

### Departments 

                          - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

### Feature Articles 

                          - AdoptUsKids Project Helps 10,000 Foster Children
                          - Back to School!
                          - Father’s Day 2012 – Reconnecting Families and Dads Saturday, June 16th, 2012
                          - Healthy Youth Development through Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation
                          - HUD Father's Day Events 2014: Reconnecting Families and Dads
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - Nation's Housing Authorities to Celebrate Fathers Day
                          - National Child Abuse Prevention Month
                          - National Foster Care Month
                          - Report on Well-Being of Nation’s Children Released
                          - Strengthening Families to Prevent Teen Drug Use

### Programs 

                          - Comprehensive Centers Program
                          - Project Launch
                          - Promise Neighborhoods

### Publications 

                          - A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety
                          - A Parent's Guide to Using the Internet
                          - Adventures in Parenting
                          - Birth Parents and Trauma Histories in the Child Welfare System
                          - Booklet Series: FASD Prevention
                          - Helping Students Prepare for Employment
                          - Social Security Benefits For Children With Disabilities
                          - Talking with Teens: Conversation Tools
                          - When a Child's Parent Has PTSD

### Resources 

                          - Homework Tips for Parents
                          - Report: Expenditures on Children by Families, 2015
                          - Resource: 1-2-3 Care: A Trauma-Sensitive Toolkit for Caregivers of Children
                          - Resource: 5 Resources to Support and Empower Teen Parent Slideshow
                          - Resource: Branch Military Parent Technical Assistance Center
                          - Resource: National Foster Care Month Promotes Positive Connections Between Fathers and Their Children
                          - Resource: National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
                          - Resource: Working with Non-Residential Fathers
                          - Resource: Youth-Friendly Manual Shows New Fathers the Ropes
                          - Resources: Serving and Engaging Males and Young Fathers

### Technical Assistance 

                          - National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY)
                          - PACER Center's Technical Assistance on Transition and the Rehabilitation Act (TATRA) Project
                          - Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers National Office, PACER Center

### Tools & Guides 

                          - 3 Bold Steps for School Community Change
                          - Children of Incarcerated Parents Framing Paper
                          - Choice for Parents: Supplemental Educational Services
                          - Maternal and Child Health Library
                          - Resources on Children's Online Privacy
                          - Title X Family Planning Clinic Locator

### Videos & Podcasts 

                          - Keep in Touch
                          - Watch: Youth Describe Their Most Meaningful Relationships

### Websites 

                          - Adolescent Health
                          - CDC Teen Pregnancy
                          - Families, Youth, and Communities
                          - Family Well-being Across the Lifespan
                          - Military Youth on the Move
                          - National Institute on Drug Abuse - for Parents and Teachers
                          - Resource: Helping Military Parents Keep their Children Safe
                          - Start Talking before They Start Drinking
                          - StopAlcoholAbuse.gov
                          - U.S. Department of Education resources for Spanish Speakers

### Youth Topics 

                          - Children of Incarcerated Parents
                          - Expectant and Parenting Young Families

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

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### Announcements

Resource: Prescription for Disaster: How Teens Misuse Medicine

Resource: How to Talk About Mental Health: For Parents and Caregivers

Resource: Essentials for Parenting Teens

### Collaboration Profiles

Promising Practices/Accomplishments

Y2CONNECT.org

Lessons Learned

### Feature Articles

Healthy Youth Development through Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

AdoptUsKids Project Helps 10,000 Foster Children

### Publications

Booklet Series: FASD Prevention

When a Child's Parent Has PTSD

Talking with Teens: Conversation Tools

### Resources

Report: Expenditures on Children by Families, 2015

Resource: National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse

Resource: Youth-Friendly Manual Shows New Fathers the Ropes

### Youth Topics

Expectant and Parenting Young Families

Children of Incarcerated Parents