History: Jeanne Altendorf-McLennan, a registered nurse who worked with teenage parents at Hinsdale Hospital, discovered MYM { ( Minnesota Early Learning Design ) Young Mothers on a trip to Minneapolis in 1983. Upon returning to Hinsdale, she called a meeting of other individuals and agencies in the greater DuPage area to present this program. Joined early on by Juanita Francis and Barbara Dwyer, the three began a community needs assessment, the formation of a planning board of directors, and sought 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) status. In July of 1985, Teen Parent Connection, formerly Greater DuPage MYM, opened the first group for teen moms at Addison United Presbyterian Church with the purpose of providing adolescent parents with parenting education, support, and resources to improve the outcomes for both the young parent and the child. Other "founding mothers" included Barbara Miklos, a social worker at Hinsdale South High School and Kay Cushman, pastor of Addison United Presbyterian. Today: More than twenty years later, the organization has expanded beyond the originally utilized MELD ( Minneapolis ) group model to a program that now includes four options for young parents and is affiliated with Healthy Families America to provide an intensive home visitation program. Since 1985, Teen Parent Connection has provided parenting support services for more than 5, 000 adolescent parents. In the most recent program year, more than 400 adolescent parents ( ages 13 to 25 ) and their children were served through our Group, Healthy Families DuPage home visitation, Childbirth Education, and Doula programs. More than 13, 000 middle school and high school students heard the pregnancy prevention message. Through these initiatives, Teen Parent Connection provides a continuum of comprehensive services designed to assist young parents in navigating both parenthood and adolescence. In fact, Teen Parent Connection is the only nonprofit, 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) organization in DuPage County providing comprehensive programs and services related to teenage pregnancy and parenting. In addition to parenting services, young parent participants are offered the opportunity to train as peer educators to deliver a strong pregnancy prevention message through prevention education programming offered to middle schools and high schools in DuPage and areas of Kane, Will, and Cook counties. The Mission of Teen Parent Connection is to serve the community through education on the realities and responsibilities of teenage pregnancy and through long-term assistance to adolescent parents for their development of self-esteem, parenting skills, and empowerment towards self-sufficiency.

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Romero, Rose

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