New PCCY Report Identifies Multiple Barriers Preventing Teen Parents from Graduating
PHILADELPHIA (July 16th, 2014) – Teen parents trying to earn their diploma face long wait times and major barriers to reliable child care, according to PCCY’s latest report “How Does Access to Childcare Affect High School Completion in Philadelphia’s Multiple Pathways to Graduation Programs?” The PCCY report includes 18 recommendations that respond to the barriers identified via interviews with teen parents and staff in 16 alternative school programs.
“Of all students, teen parents face the greatest need to get their diploma and earn a job, but they are getting shortchanged by the state,” said Donna Cooper, Executive Director of PCCY. “State funds are still inadequate to meet the need of teen parents who need child care to go to school.”
There are about 15,000 teen parents who do not have a high school diploma or are not part of the workforce. All teen parents should be enrolled in programs to help them earn a degree, but PCCY’s report found barriers in state TANF and child care subsidy rules, as well as policies within the school district and alternative education programs that make participation in high school difficult for teen parents.
The report finds:
- The child care funding set-aside for teen parents is insufficient to meet the needs of students leading to wait times of up to 6 months for child care subsidy
- Teenage parents who depend on neighbors or family members to watch their child are three times more likely to miss school than parents whose children attended a child care center
- Teenage parents can be denied child care subsidy by the state because TANF requires that any at-home adult provide care for a child even if he/she is unwilling, disabled, or is a bad choice for the child
- Teenage parents who receive child care subsidy are required to reapply every 6 months, which can cause interruptions in their benefits as parents struggle to meet paperwork deadlines while going to school
- Students can’t access child care until they are enrolled in an education program, but due to state rules, child care is not always available on the first day of school
- There is no data tracking system to gauge the academic performance and attendance of teen parents enrolled in alternative education programs
PCCY’s 18 recommendations include:
- The state fully fund the teen parent set-aside for child care subsidy so all teen parents who want to go to school can access high quality care for their child without long wait times
- The state revise the TANF rules so child care benefits are not cut off suddenly, paperwork is streamlined and teen parents have a choice in who cares for their child
- Multiple Pathways to Graduation programs put tracking systems in place to ensure the needs of teen parents are served
- Schools provide more support to help teenage parents navigate the complicated child care subsidy process
- The state provide resources for temporary child care to all students during the child care subsidy waiting period so they do not miss class time
“I heard firsthand from teen parents who are frustrated with the barriers that keep them from getting reliable child care and cause them to miss school,” said report author Della Jenkins who interviewed dozens of parenting students enrolled in alternative education programs for the report. “These young women are motivated to get back in school, but a lack of resources and complicated processes are keeping them out of the classroom.”