Bannerman, Clay County's alternative school for troubled youths, offers a parenting program for pregnant teens. It's strictly their decision. We offer parenting classes, so that helps them. Plus, it's a smaller campus, so there's not so much jostling going on when they're carrying their babies. And we provide day care.
Some pregnant teens quit school.
Others stay at their home school and leave their babies with relatives, friends or day care workers during the day. We have an opportunity to not only teach reading and writing, but parenting skills as well,'' said Assistant Principal Myrna Byers. Although the parenting program has been offered at Bannerman for several years, a new feature added a few weeks ago is a ''nurturing'' program involving volunteers from the community. Parents and volunteers from churches and other community organizations visit the teen parents and their babies three days a week, teaching parenting skills and songs and games. It's a prevention program.