NCJ Number
124193
Date Published
1990
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Programs are needed to help African-American teenage fathers overcome the educational and economic barriers that limit their ability to provide the social, emotional, and material support that their families need.
Abstract
The costs and rewards for becoming a teenage father are similar for youths of all ethnic groups, but the choices may be more limited and the costs higher for black fathers due to the societal and structural barriers that limit their employment and education. Although a few programs have been developed to address the needs of these youths, they often rest on outdated social casework models that have seemed to punish rather than provide real help to the adolescents involved. However, promising programs include efforts in Alexandria, Va. to educate black males about their sexuality and change their attitudes about females; the Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Project of the Family Service Agency of San Francisco; and a teen fathers program at the medical college of Pennsylvania Hospital. Evaluations have not yet taken place, but it is likely that those that provide job training; support during the first few years on the job; and training in house, child, and spousal care will be seen as successful. 56 references.