The Teens As Parents Program (TAPS) began as a pilot program at Olathe North High School in 1993 in response to a marked increase in our drop-out rate, a significant percent of which was due to students who dropped out during pregnancy or shortly thereafter. While not unusual to find alternative education programs in inner-city schools that served teen parents, it was quite unusual at the time to find support services for teen parents in suburban or rural communities of Kansas. Our conservative school board agreed to a one semester pilot program to assess its impact on slowing the drop-out rate, and without any nearby models upon which to base a program, the task at hand was to develop a curriculum that could make a difference in the lives of these young families.

A great deal of research went into the development of curriculum. It was necessary to consult with nationally-recognized programs, such as Ohio’s GRADS Program and Morning Glory Press. Visits were made to alternative education programs that could be adapted for use within a comprehensive high school setting. A membership to NOAPPP (National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention) provided access to a nation-wide network of adolescent health professionals and their publications. The most valuable assistance came from the local FACS advisory board, which provided a “safety net” of community input and support.

By the end of the pilot year, it was clear that a TAPS support program could make a difference, as the drop-out rate for students enrolled in TAPS was 0%. TAPS has since been incorporated into the FACS curriculum district-wide, and has served approximately 375 young parents in the past twelve years. The drop-out rate continues to register at nearly 0%, showing what a positive influence a support system can make in the lives of young families struggling to complete their education.

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Enrollment requirements
Students enroll in TAPS as a Family and Consumer Sciences course offering, receive .5 credit per semester as a practical arts credit in the district, and typically remain in the program until graduation from high school. TAPS is open to both pregnant and parenting students, including teen fathers, with a customized curriculum tailored to individual needs. Special permission to enroll is obtained after consultation with the school counselor, nurse, school social worker and FACS / TAPS teacher. Every effort is made to include the parents of the teen parent as well. Each high school’s TAPS teacher is a specialist in the “family focus” branch of the FACS Program.

Curriculum Standards and Assessments
The Teens As Parents curriculum is closely aligned with the national and state (Kansas) Family and Consumer Sciences content standards. While each student’s learning activities are customized to individual needs, a specific theme is addressed each quarter.
• Quarter One: Caring for Self and Others
• Quarter Two: Parenting My Child
• Quarter Three: Planning For the Future
• Quarter Four: Providing for Health and Safety
Assessment components include individual learning contract objectives, attendance requirements, and specific learning activity objectives.

Day Care Services
Day care for the children of teen parents is available at a separate district location, an early childhood campus that also houses Headstart, Parents As Teachers, ECCO, and an at-risk preschool for four-year-olds. Called Heartland Infant / Toddler Learning Center, the day care is a collaborative effort between the school district and YMCA. The school district provides the building, and pays utilities and custodial costs. The YMCA provides trained staff and administration. Community volunteers stop by as “huggers and rockers”, or to donate needed supplies. Financial support to pay the weekly fee is available through a child care assistance program administered by Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services.

Heartland provides services for babies between the ages of six weeks old and 2 ½ years. Heartland is only available to children of parents enrolled in TAPS, although the child may continue to attend Heartland after the teen parent graduates. Formula and meals are provided through a state-sponsored food program for licensed day-care providers, while diapers and a second set of clean clothes are provided by the teen parent.

Community Involvement
The importance of developing community involvement in an at-risk program such as TAPS can not be over-emphasized! TAPS has evolved into a “clearinghouse” of needed agencies and resources for these young families even after high school graduation. Meeting the individual needs of each teen parent enrolled in TAPS can easily become an over-whelming task for a FACS instructor who has many other job-related responsibilities. Cultivating relationships with community mentors and agencies helps ensure that each teen parent and child receives the support needed. Listed below is a partial listing of community organizations and agencies that have provided free resources to the participants in this program.

• Parents As Teachers – provides monthly home visits to check on the child’s healthy development and to offer emotional support to the teen parent. Parents As Teachers also coordinates classroom presentations on topics such as brain development, home safety, infant massage, and children’s literacy.

• Healthy Families (Kansas Children’s Service League) – provides intensive counseling and emotional support for families considered high-risk
• Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) – brings together teen parents from across the community on a weekly basis to listen to guest speakers and to bond with other teens mothers of preschoolers.
• Olathe Medical Center – provides childbirth preparation and breast-feeding classes free-of-charge; donates car seats and other medical supplies.
• Catholic Charities – provides emergency food supplies and utilities payments; trains students in financial management skills
• Angels’ Babies – solicits local businesses for donations of diapers, infant clothing, formula, and toys for distribution to teen parents during the Holiday Season
• Center of Grace Hispanic Ministries – supports Hispanic families; includes emergency financial support, food pantry and clothes closet
• Olathe Police Department – provides free car seat inspections
• Olathe Fire Department – provides free smoke alarms
• Olathe District Nursing Services – provides Infant / Child CPR training

Impact of Teens as Parents Program
Being involved in this at-risk program for teen parents has been a tremendously rewarding experience. As a career FACS educator, there are no words to express the depth of satisfaction in seeing the positive influence the course has on the participants, and knowing what an impact the course will have on the quality of life of the children of the teen participants.
TAPS graduates are asked to anonymously respond to an on-line student satisfaction survey at the end of the program. A sampling of their comments follows:
“I don’t know what you saw in me. But I’m glad you did. I never would have made it without you.”
“I grew up while in the TAPS Program.”
“I would have been lost without TAPS.”
“….you changed my life….”

It has been 12 years since the pilot program began, yet the drop-out rate continues to register near 0%. That is a significant accomplishment, considering many of these students were at high risk of dropping out of high school prior to becoming pregnant. The power of a support system that sends a message of care and commitment can not be over-estimated. There is great pride in the eyes of each teen parent that walks across the graduation stage in May, with the self-confidence to continue on with post-secondary training. It is critically important work; work that a FACS teacher is uniquely prepared to provide.

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