Supporting parents as their children’s first and most important teachers

1. Supporting parents as their children’s first and most important teachers LoveTalkPlay.org ELC Webinar on Teen Parents 7.11.12

2. Who Is Joining Us? • Jill Johnson – Inland NW • Janalee Ensley – SELF • Susan Prudente – SE WA ELC • Mary Ellen Braks – Inland NW • Stacie Marez – Investing in Children • Harla Tumbleson – SOAR • Tanya Andrews – First 5 • Molly O’Connor – Thrive • Holly Wyrwich – Thrive • Garrison Kurtz - Dovetailing • THOUGHTS • Official start January 2013, possible action before – some funding available • SOAR and Inland NW – will receive additional resources for work • Other coalitions interested in teen parent engagement will draw funds from regular Community Momentum grants, which begin Jan. 2013 • Early Fall – school connections

3. Why Teen Parents? • Some ELCs already engaging teen parents • Teen parents are found throughout the state in every kind of community • Few parenting materials and messages are specifically designed for teen parents • Teen parents are brutally honest about what works for them … and what doesn’t! • Opportunity to have an impact on two generations • Could help infuse a different kind of energy in the campaign

4. Timeline 2012 • May – Choose primary coalitions • July – Teen Parent Engagement Webinar • Sept – 1st Family Engagement Cmte Mtg • Fall - Community Momentum RFP released 2013 • Teen Parent Engagement officially begins

5. The Current Situation: What do you already know about teen parents in your region? (Demographics, behaviors)? • Yakima – high incidence of teen pregnancy • King – highest birth rate in Latino community, though leveled off in other communities • King – Community practices – marriage and child-bearing happen earlier • Tacoma – Pierce County rates are slightly lower, except Native American, which is higher than Latino birth rates • Spokane – Birth rate has gone down a bit. Lower ethnic diversity than some parts of the state • Spokane – Anecdotal discussions have not highlighted why • Teen moms tend to stay connected to schools – until/unless second child comes • We could use a better understanding about motivations (intentional pregnancy, plans for marriage, etc.) and effect of the economy on birth rates • Impact of online education availability might interfere with mom access to services through schools • King – Education (and supportive child care) and housing were expressed as the top needs of Latino students • Walla Walla – Some success with teen father engagement • King – Pleasantly surprised at number of dads that show up LoveTalkPlay.org

6. The Current Situation: Which agencies and orgs. (state and local) already connect with teen parents in your region? • Clark – GRADS • Clark – Unless dads are high school involved, women protect older fathers due to laws regarding that • Walla Walla – Children’s Home Society • Walla Walla – Community College • All – DSHS • All – WithinReach- service referral • All – WashingtonTeenHelp.org • All – Parent Trust of WA (Hope Line, LTP 1-800 number) • All – Community Cafes/Strengthening Families • Spokane – Shelters/ Crosswalk • All – YWCAs • King – Orion Center & transitional housing • Spokane – Library story times (?) • All – Early Head Start • GRADS • Young Lives • Hospital based home visiting programs • Health Dept (Yakima) • Parents as Teachers • WIC • King County – Community health clinics • King County – Interagency program (School district) • King County – Housing • Spokane – Catholic charities, school districts • Pierce – 2 high schools with programs for teen parents • Pierce – Children’s museum • All – Play & Learn groups/community centers • Child Care Aware (local and state) • State-level - Division of Child Support LoveTalkPlay.org

7. Barriers • Transportation • Similar demographics/welcoming feeling (e.g. community cafes) • Teen-interest focused • Libraries often do not have teen-focused programs • Lack of peer parent support opportunities

8. The Current Situation: Is a particular segment of your teen parent population more vulnerable? • Latino • Native American • Yakima – Isolated communities (rural, indian nations) • Yakima – Gang-involved • King – Mono-lingual teen parents are still not uncommon, though more are bi-lingual • King – Newer immigrant and refugees • King – African-American teen parents whose outcomes are often poorer • Out-of-school • Those lacking a social and financial support network – education and jobs not happening – vulnerable, but responding • Spokane – Half of kids do not have family support • ? – Moms of children with drug-addicted fathers • ? – Foster-placed teens • ? – Court-involved teens LoveTalkPlay.org

9. The Current Situation: What have you already done to engage teen parents? • Clark – We have not really started to engage teen parents as yet • Walla Walla – Alternative high school (8-12 M and F participants), with Love.Talk.Play./ Literacy-focused credit-bearing class taught by a Masters-Level teacher • Spokane, Snohomish, Yakima, King Walla Walla – Young Lives – gather teen moms with free child care and dinner + activities to a parent peer group in community locations • Spokane – 3 different SDs (East, West Valley, Spokane), LTP based activities in Play and Learn groups • Spokane – Catholic Charities Play & Learn • King – Young parents’ network (300-400 members) • King – Good connections with early intervention providers and birth to three programs • King – Faith community connections • Pierce – In learning mode at the Children’s Museum • Pierce – Gig Harbor and Tacoma alternative schools LoveTalkPlay.org

10. The Current Situation: What are the most important gaps in getting quality parenting information to teen parents? • Walla Walla – Daily text – ParentHelp123 • Communication mode – technology • Lack of places for positive parenting modeling that are not intimidating (e.g. all other participants are parents in their 30s) • Teen parent peer support • Past teen parent mentors • Activities and information that are appealing to dads • Create more compassion and respect among older-aged parents to support teen parents in their parenting role (Young Life model) LoveTalkPlay.org

11. What’s Doable? LoveTalkPlay.org

12. What’s Doable? LoveTalkPlay.org

13. Family Engagement Committee Through their knowledge, expertise and connections, the Family Engagement Committee will help the LTP campaign connect to a population of harder to reach families, so that they have the confidence, information and skills needed to give their children a great start in life. Guiding Principle • Targeted Universalism – inclusive of the needs of both the dominant and marginal groups, but pays attention to the situation of the marginal group Objectives • Help ensure campaign reaches state’s most vulnerable families Role • Serve as a sounding board for the regional early learning coalitions that are focusing on teen parents • Share knowledge and facilitate connections, so that existing resources and programs are maximized • Explore creative ways to reach families that are NOT connected to supports and services Members • Chosen based on their access to resources, networks and key programs that work with teen parents

14. What Does the FEC Look Like? What do you think the value of the FEC is to the committee’s non-ELC participants? • Value of the FEC to Members • Inspiration • Ability to identify local challenges related to state-goals • Promote dialog about how services should/could be designed • Collaborative discussion body/table • Connection to local organizations that are the implementers • Greater understanding of “the whole” and clarity of how I/my organization can help • Data and on-the-ground examples Other FEC Members • DOH • DSHS • DEL • HS/ECEAP • 24/7 Dads – CHS • Teen parents • Seattle Public Library • OPEP • GRADS • Young Lives LoveTalkPlay.org

15. What Does the FEC Look Like? How do you hope your work with teen parents will benefit from the FEC? • KING/CLARK/PIERCE – Better understanding of best practices/ assess our individual progress • KING – Test our new ideas • KING/PIERCE – Access expertise of committee members • CLARK – Build on existing efforts/approaches • SPOKANE – Building relationships with statewide organizations that can support what we are doing • SPOKANE – Develop shared understanding among players • WW – use credibility of FEC to bolster our work LoveTalkPlay.org

16. Wrap-Up • Do we need another call/meeting before the RFP meeting (8/16-21) • Would like a write-up from today • Would like the “focus areas” and allowable use of funds to be identified • Would like the opportunity for input to the RFP allowable uses and focus areas • What can Thrive and you do/provide between now and the first FEC meeting that will be helpful? • Write-up from today • Revised Family Engagement Committee Description • Draft Strategic Foci • How did today’s conversation go? • Worth the time • Allowed more/ancillary people to participate • Eliminated travel • Discussion was rich • State perspective and broader vision LoveTalkPlay.org