Community Supports for Young Parents (CSYP)
In 2010, the Mary Black Foundation began funding supports for young parents in partnership with the Adolescent Family Life Program (AFL). AFL provides services to pregnant or parenting mothers currently enrolled in school. The AFL program is focused on supporting these young mothers to matriculate through to high school graduation and into post-secondary education. Through the use of case managers embedded directly into six of the seven Spartanburg County School Districts, young mothers benefit from weekly peer support and training, as well one-on-one case management in the home.
The Foundation continues to partner with the AFL program and other community partners to expand supports and services to young parents. The federal Pregnancy Assistance Fund has provided two years of additional funding (CSYP funds) to the Spartanburg community. This funding targets not only young mothers under the age of 24 years, but young fathers as well. Both programs are equipped to support young parents both in and outside of the K-12 school setting.
In conjunction with the Upstate Fatherhood Coalition, AFL and the Mary Black Foundation are working together to help meet the needs of young parents. Whether it be concrete supports, parenting education training, or connection to education and employment enhancing opportunities, case managers work tirelessly to ensure that young parents and their children have the best opportunity for success.
Getting the Word Out
This week, a social media campaign has been launched to share information about local CSYP programs and services. Be sure to share “Babies Have Brighter Futures If… (Advice from Former Teen Parents)” posts on your organization’s social media platforms. If you know of youth or young adults under the age of 25 years who could benefit from programs and services offered through the Adolescent Family Life Program or the Upstate Fatherhood Coalition’s Young Fathers Program, please share the information below. The more support we are able to offer young parents, the better the overall outcomes will be for them and their children.
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