TAPSS provides individualized counseling and drop-in support groups for pregnant and parenting teens and their partners. TAPSS provides a weekly support group for adolescent parents and their children. Groups offer friendship and support, parenting education, life skills development and socialization. Child care and nutritious snacks are provided by program staff and volunteers during group time.

Emphasis is on developing independent self-advocacy skills and self esteem. Strong encouragement is given for participation in high school and/or equivalency programs.

TAPSS was first launched by Third Presbyterian Church. In 1996 the program was merged under SPCC (Society for the Protection and Care of Children). TAPSS has grown and flourished as an integral SPCC program "helping families find the key to a better future."

2001 OUTCOME EVALUATION REPORT

SPCC TEEN PARENT PROGRAM

CLIENT PROFILE/DEMOGRAPHICS

A total of 149 clients were served from January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001. Seventy-one (71) of these children were teen mothers, and 78 were their children.

PERFORMANCE

1. OUTCOME OBJECTIVE

To avoid repeat pregnancies among teens enrolled in TAPSS.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD:

From 1/1/01 through 12/31/01, 93% (46) of the 50 participating teen parents will successfully avoid repeat pregnancies upon termination.

PERFORMANCE MEASURE

Counseling staff at the point of intake will assess if the teen is pregnant through conversation with the teen parent. This information will be recorded in the client file as well as in the monthly statistics. After intake, if the teen experiences a repeat pregnancy, this information will be reported in the case file. Teens who do not experience repeat pregnancies throughout their involvement with TAPSS will be successful with this goal. In addition, counselors will complete a 3-month follow-up phone call to inquire if the teen has remained pregnancy free.

FINDINGS

From January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2001, TAPSS served 71 teen parents. We overachieved this objective with 70 (99%) of the teen parents avoiding repeat pregnancies.

2. OUTCOME OBJECTIVE

To increase job-readiness skills among teens enrolled in TAPSS.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD:

From 1/1/01 through 12/31/01, 75% of the clients who are open for 3 months or more will have competency in job readiness skills such as; completing job application forms, demonstrating positive employment attitude/behavior and writing a resume.

PERFORMANCE MEASURE

Counselors will use a pre-employment competency summary to measure job readiness skills. The sections completed by the counselor to evaluate the client’s progress will become part of the case file. Quarterly and annual reports to the Monroe County Youth Bureau will reflect client progress with job-readiness skills.

FINDINGS

From 1/1/01 through 12/31/01, 34 clients closed. Of these 34 clients, 23 (68%) remained active with the program for at least 3 months. After being open for at least 3 months, we were able to complete a pre-employment competency summary on all of these 23 clients. Of these 23 clients, 19 (83%) demonstrated competence in job readiness skills. This objective was overachieved.

3. OUTCOME OBJECTIVE

To increase the overall academic success of pregnant and parenting teens enrolled in TAPSS who live in Monroe County.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD:

From 1/1/01 through 12/31/01, 60% of TAPSS participants who have been open for 3 months or more will at case closing have completed a high school education or will be actively enrolled in a high school or GED program. The 1994 March of Dimes Fact Sheet indicates that with her education cut short, a teenage mother may lack job skills, making it hard for her to find and keep a job. Consequently, a teenage mother often becomes financially dependent on her family or on welfare. Over 500 girls in the City School District are pregnant or parenting and statistics indicate that 80% of the students who have a child before their senior year do not go on to graduate. This is true in the TAPSS program as well. The majority of participants who enter the TAPSS program have failed to complete traditional high school, which make the academic goals of the TAPSS program particularly important.

PERFORMANCE MEASURE

Counselors will monitor client enrollment in and completion of education programs. This will be documented in individual case files and monthly statistics. Quarterly reports will be submitted to the Monroe County Youth Bureau. Three months after termination, the counselors will do a phone follow-up to assess the teen parents’ continued success in these areas.

FINDINGS

From 1/1/01 through 12/31/01, 34 teen parents closed with TAPSS. Of these 34 clients, 23 were open for at least 3 months. Eighteen (78%) of 23 clients re-entered traditional school, enrolled in an alternative education program, completed school or were continuing to attend traditional school and/or were waiting for GED results. Therefore, (78%) of the total 23 clients who closed after 3 months had completed a high school education or were actively enrolled in a high school or GED program. Five (5) of these clients also improved their attendance and grades. Three (3) of these clients entered college. This objective was significantly overachieved.

ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

PERFORMANCE STANDARD 1:

In accordance with our 2001 contract, the TAPSS program was to serve 50 teens with 93% (46) of these teens successfully avoiding repeat pregnancies. We overachieved our objectives with 71 teen parents participating in services, 142% over projection. We measured repeat pregnancies as the birth occurred. One (1) client had a repeat pregnancy this year. Seventy (70) or 99% of the clients were successful at avoiding repeat pregnancies. We overachieved this projection at 106%.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD 2:

An additional performance projection was that 75% of the participating teens show documented competency in job-readiness skills at case closing. We overachieved our objectives with 19 (83%) of the total 23 clients, who closed after being active with the program at least 3 months, having demonstrated job readiness skills competencies. We overachieved this projection at 111%.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD 3:

The final performance projection was for 60% of TAPSS participants who have been open for 3 months or more to have completed a high school education or be actively enrolled in a high school or GED program upon case closing. We overachieved our objectives with 18 (78%) of 23 clients having completed a high school education or becoming actively enrolled in a high school or GED program by case closing. We significantly overachieved this projection at 130%.

ACTION PLAN

No action plan is required for our three objectives as we overachieved or significantly overachieved them. We feel that we are measuring our clients accurately and with high measurement standards.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OTHER PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

TAPSS continued to offer "Project Success" this year. The program design remains the same as last year and three sessions were offered with 23 participants completing the program.

We entered into an exciting collaborative with the YWCA funded by Rochester Resource Alliance. This enabled us to hire an additional counselor to provide intensive counseling and case management to young parents ages 16-21 who are out-of-school and unemployed. They are also eligible to receive vocational counseling, educational assistance and employment training through this collaborative. This has been both challenging and rewarding as we grow in this area. This program component is called "Successful Futures for Youth."

Three of our TAPSS staff completed the week long and very intensive training to become certified "Parents as Teachers" educators. This will enhance our program enormously. The curriculum allows us to assess the children’s development, strengths and needs as well as educate the teen parents about their child(ren)’s development. Through a variety of innovative and thoroughly researched techniques, we will teach the teen mothers how to understand and actively address their child(ren)’s developmental needs. This is a nationally recognized, tested and recommended curriculum with proven effective and structured guidelines.

Also at Pride House II, group continues to be very successful as we average 7-10 teen parents and their children weekly. The group has developed trust and a therapeutic structure that has been the catalyst for many positive changes in the participants’ lives, such as developing healthier relationships and improving parenting. Their children also appear to benefit from the nurturing and stimulation that they receive during this time. We continue to provide childcare and transportation.

We were able to provide holiday gifts for all our teen parents and all their children. We held a very well attended holiday party. We were also able to provide portrait packages to all the teen parents who wanted one – free of charge.

Twenty-one (21) of the clients whom we served this quarter either obtained employment or were successful in retaining employment.

IDENTIFICATION OF PROGRAM AND/OR CUSTOMER NEEDS

Despite increased funding and capacity, we continue to maintain a large wait list. We are hopeful that we will be granted funding for a pending proposal that would allow us to expand further and provide services to meet the community need. We depend heavily upon every donation and funding source to continue our ability to provide these vital services.

OBSTACLES, PROBLEMS OR BARRIERS ENCOUNTERED

The diversity of funding presents exciting opportunities as well as administrative challenges for managing the new contracts.

PROGRAM NARRATIVE

The Society for the Protection and Care of Children (SPCC)

TEEN-AGE PARENT SUPPORT SERVICES (TAPSS) PROGRAM

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Intensive counseling and case management services are provided to parents up to 21 years of age, their children and extended families. TAPSS provides a weekly group experience for adolescent parents and their children. These groups are held at Pride House II (1476 St. Paul Street) on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. Groups focus on therapeutic support, parenting education, life skills development, child development and socialization. Program staff and volunteers provide childcare during group time. Transportation is also provided to program participants. A nutritious snack is provided during group to parents and children. Employment readiness workshops are also provided quarterly with the same support services. Strong emphasis is placed on vocational, educational and parenting goals with specific program components to address these issues.

PROGRAM GOALS:

• To prevent foster care placement of children who are deemed at-risk.
• To decrease abuse and neglect.
• To increase employment/education among teen parents
• To decrease the incidence of repeat pregnancies among young families.
• To improve parent/child relationships and skills.

REFERRAL CRITERIA:

Clients may be referred by Monroe County Department of Social Services, self-referral or by any other community agency. Referrals are accepted upon the approval of the Preventive Unit of the Department of Social Services. The preventive caseload will not exceed 13 clients at any given time. The group site can accommodate a maximum of 10 participants at any given time. TAPSS staff may also identify current non-preventive clients who are at particularly high-risk and request the approval for preventive services. Similarly, those preventive clients who reduce their risk of foster care placement may close as preventive and receive non-preventive TAPSS services.

Clients must reside within the County of Monroe. TAPSS does not discriminate on the basis of sex, creed, race, color, national origin, handicap, religion or sexual preference.

TAPSS’ particular interest is in serving those parents who may benefit from comprehensive case management, therapeutic support, intensive individual and family counseling, empowerment and building parenting skills and relationships. Often, financial conditions seriously impact a teen’s ability to provide for their children.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

• Less than 20 percent of the children of TAPSS participants will enter foster care.
• Less than 20 percent of the TAPSS participants will have CPS complaints filed against them.
• Sixty percent of all TAPSS participants will complete a high school education or be enrolled in a high school or GED preparation program while involved with the TAPSS program.
• 50 percent of those TAPSS participants who already completed their educational goals will obtain employment.

SERVICES PROVIDED:

Clients are offered intensive individual, family and group counseling, advocacy, employment readiness services, parenting development and case management. A primary emphasis is placed on assessing the clients educational and employment needs, abilities and goals. A treatment plan is developed to address these areas based on individual needs and strengths. TAPSS uses an eclectic approach designed to meet the multiple needs of teen parents and their children. Referrals are made to additional community resources in education, health and social services designed to promote family functioning and/or personal growth. Counselors carefully coordinate services with other providers. The "Parents as Teachers" curriculum is available to those participants who are interested.

Emergency food, transportation and clothing needs are provided on a case-by-case basis.

COMPONENTS:

TAPSS serves young parents and their children through individual, family and group experiences. Emphasis is placed on developing independent self-advocacy skills and self-esteem. Strong support and encouragement is given towards participation in educational programs as well as employment/self-sufficiency. Specific attention is given to needs of the children, individually and in group care.

PROGRAM LOCATIONS AND STAFF:

Assistant Vice President: Laurie Valentine
Staff: Bonnie Allen
Staff: Karen Bolton
Staff: Jessica Brumbaugh
Staff: Maria Foster

FEES: None.

EXPECTED DURATION OF SERVICES: Approximately 1 year.