European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 8, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Lucille Chen coordinator of infant programs in Washington . Public schools with � Pupil s son. School based child care centers Aid teen moms by Jill Lawrence associated press he Bright basemen room Al the Cardozo High school in Washington was quiet for the first Tima in hours no Hokey Pokey or baby wails just the murmur of hushed adult voices As five Well fed infants eased into their Early afternoon naps. Debbie 18, gazed into a crib at her son 8-Monlh-old Gregory whose picture she wears in a tiny Pendant around her neck. In a few minutes her lunch break would end and she would have to return to class. I was pleased to go Back to school and make my Lutura belter Lor him said the teenager so slim in her sweater and jeans i need to get a proper Job. I want to be a paediatric nurse or  these might have been empty dreams Lor Debbie who lives on welfare but far a colourful Oasis of innocence slotted animals and rocking chairs in the bowels of a Stark Brick Urban High school. I Don t have anyone to look after the baby. I can to afford a baby Sitter Debbie says. That s what i love Aboul this Center. It really provides for the Mother who wants to go Bach to  More than 1 million teen age girls become pregnant each year in he United states. Nearly half of them have their babies according to the Center Lor population options about half of those who Complete their pregnancies drop out of school often because they Don t have child care society pays a High Price for teen age pregnancies Low birth weight babies who May need special medical care and later remedial education Long term unemployment and welfare Reliance among under educated teen parents and child abuse and neglect by the inexperienced and frustrated parents Many of whom have disturbed family lives themselves. But experts believe and studies Are beginning to show that child care centers Al or near High schools can keep teen mothers in school reduce repeat pregnancies and draw adolescent parents into a web of services that heighten their chances for a Good Lite. You pay now or you pay later says Sharon Rodine. Director of the National organization on adolescent pregnancy and parenting. Albert Shinker president of the american federation of teachers says if these mothers stay in school it makes a great difference in the welfare Rolls and and a very Greet difference in their children s futures. A working Parent who can read and write is not Likely to have an illiterate  child care usually is the Cornerstone of a whole network of support services needed by Young mothers who often have poor Basic skills and few opportunities concludes the draft of an article to be published in March by tha children s defense fund. You have to provide a special Range of services. But without child care i Don t see what pregnant teens opportunities Are says Helen Blank the organization s director of child care. There Are 400 to 500 school coordinated child care services in the United Stales according to cd. Some like Cardozo Are in Public school buildings some Are in separate schools for teen age parents while others Are in family Day care Homes near schools attended by their parents the main advantage to students is Hal scheduling and transportation Are enormously simplified the lie in also Means Somo mothers can Brosl faed. Counselor can observe Parent child relationships and the Day care centers can be used to Leach parenting skills in addition the Young mothers retain heir status As primary caretakers rather than Lur Njong Hal responsibility Over to their own mothers. Most programs arrange or provide head la care of. Both mothers and babies and make sure new parents learn How to care Lor and understand their babies some provide mentors to student mothers some offer family counselling and some Lind ways to involve the baby s father grandparents aunts and uncles at Cardozo staff members see to it Hal mothers and babies receive physicals and immunizations the girls attend weekly parenting classes or rap sessions they re required to take child studies in their Home economic classes. Thoy have More tolerance in the evening with their babies because hey have some Relief during the Day says Lucille Green the coordinator of intent programs in the District of Columbia Public schools i m sure we be Cul Down to some degree on child abuse and  the Cardozo program has two simple Aims delaying further pregnancies and finishing school. Each girl must Call the Center by 9 . If she will be Idle or Assoni that Day. If Ahe leaves the building during school hours har baby goes with her. Her attendance is monitored. Shell be kicked of if she becomes pregnant. We re not Here to baby sit Green says. To in Here to keep them in  they know they la be dropped from the program if they abuse it she adds then pauses to smile. Sounds Tough does t it but these Are teenagers we Are dealing with. We have lobe very very strict Wilh our refute Lions. Otherwise things would get out of  the tint school based child care centers in the United Stales arose in the 1970s. But the idea has Only recently begun to attract widespread attention and. To some extend Money. Education Secretary William Sennet declined through a spokesman to comment on the Issue. States and cities have been taking the Lead. According to cd California s school age Parent s infant development program began a dozen years ago with s2 million sup fling 13 on silo child care centers. Last year its budget was $6.5 million ail state funds for 61 centers serving 1,800 adolescent parents and Ihler children Florida is providing $750,000 in Start up funds Lor child care for adolescent parents this year a 250 percent increase Over us allocation Tor 1985-b6 under a 2-year-old program in Michigan child care services Are guaranteed for All parents under 21 who Are participating in High school completion programs new York City sponsors on site and family Day care centers and has started several general equivalency diploma ged programs for homeless adolescent parents temporarily living in old hotels. Several studies indicate teenagers would slay in school if child care were available cd researchers found. Actual follow up data on schools with child care programs is sparse but encouraging. In Rural Leslie mich., for example the family learning Center found Hal 91 percent of its pregnant and parenting seniors graduated while 97 percent of its parenting 8lh to 11th graders stayed in school. And in Albuquerque a follow up study of students at the a year old new futures school showed Hal 82 percent of the participants Over a six year period had completed High school or received a ged and the repeal pregnancy rate was one third the National average. New futures is one of several alternative schools geared especially for teen age parents mostly mothers and their children. It offers prenatal health and parenting classes counselling social services and on Sita health care. Classes Are practical for instance students learn to Lake a baby s temperature and measure formula using the Day care Center As a lab. New futures principal Caroline Caslon says the setting Fosters self esteem and Confidence among he More than �00 students in the program. They re Here by Choice she says they Soe it As an Opportunity rather than a punishment. We treat them As women who Ere taking on a responsibility and who Are  As with most most programs Cardozo has no data to demonstrate its Success. Bui letters and testimonials Bear out what studies elsewhere have shown. Sunday March 8, 1967 the stars and stripes Page 17