What about the Dads: A Case Study of Young Fathers of Babies Born to Adolescent Mothers
Date
2013-01-17
Authors
Scholl, Marilyn Faris
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Abstract
Adolescent pregnancy remains a persistent societal problem. Both teenage mothers and the fathers of their babies are unprepared for parenthood and often drop out of school, take low-paying jobs, and never complete their education. Fathers of babies born to adolescent mothers are a critical but often forgotten component of the adolescent pregnancy picture. Few programs exist, either in Virginia or in other states, for fathers of babies born to adolescent mothers. This dissertation focuses on young males, aged 17 to 21 years, who fathered a child with an adolescent mother and participated in a five-year, grant-funded fatherhood program that operated from 2003 to 2007 in Arlington, Virginia, called the Caring Equation. Research on fathers of babies born to adolescent mothers may assist educational leaders to better serve young fathers, their children, and families begun when the mother was an adolescent. What these males share may provide a broader understanding of young fathers.
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Keywords
Fatherhood, Father involvement, Adolescent parents, Teenage pregnancy, Young fathers, Educating school-age parents