title: Engaging pregnant and parenting teens: early challenges and lessons learned from the Evaluation of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Approaches.
abstract: This article draws on data from the ongoing federal Evaluation of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Approaches to discuss the early implementation experiences of two new and innovative programs intended to delay rapid repeat pregnancy among teen mothers: (1) AIM 4 Teen Moms, in Los Angeles County, California; and (2) Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy (T.O.P.P.), in Columbus, Ohio. Program staff report common challenges in working with teen mothers, particularly concerning recruitment and retention, staff capacity and training, barriers to participation, and participants' overarching service needs. Lessons learned in addressing these challenges provide useful guidance to program developers, providers, policy makers, and stakeholders working with similar populations.
authors.affiliation: Mathematica Policy Research, Princeton, New Jersey. Electronic address: sasheer@mathematica-mpr.com.
authors.forename: Subuhi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asheer
authors.affiliation: Child Trends, Princeton, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: Mathematica Policy Research, Princeton, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meckstroth
authors.affiliation: Twin Peaks Partners, LLC, Princeton, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kisker
authors.affiliation: Mathematica Policy Research, Princeton, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Keating
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003268:Contraception Behavior; D005260:Female; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education*; D009820:Ohio; D016487:Parenting; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Parenting teens; Program evaluation; Program implementation; Repeat births; Teen pregnancy prevention