Statistical Information:

• National studies indicate two-thirds (66%) of teen mothers do not graduate from high school and 80% end up on welfare.
• Only 62% of unwed teen mothers receive 1st Trimester Prenatal Care.
• The national rate of unwed teen mothers delivering low birth weight babies is 16% in Arizona.
• Children of unwed teen mothers are more likely to perform poorly in school and become victims of abuse and neglect. 

Becoming a parent is a life-altering experience for anyone at any age. For school-age children becoming a parent means this reality on top of the growth and challenges one normally faces during the formative years of youth. Having a network of support is key for young parents in ensuring their success in completing a necessary primary level of education. El Rio Health Center has responded to this community need and supported the Sunnyside TeenAge Parent Program (TAPP) for 15 years.

TAPP is a multi-disciplinary approach involving health care, medical care, parenting education and formal school education. An El Rio nurse-midwife provides health services for the program and meets with students at all middle and high schools in the student's own school within the district. The nurse-midwife also provides reproduction health services (for those students who do not want to visit the High School Clinic) at El Rio Southwest Teen Clinic on Bilby Road.

El Rio/Sunnyside maintains an on-campus infant daycare center. The mothers must return to school two weeks after a (healthy) delivery and the mother/father attends classes and takes breaks/lunch in the infant care center with their child. At the age of one year, the child can attend the regular daycare center (ages 1 year/up) on campus.

A periodic review with students is done to help El Rio identify those in need of assistance with AHCCCS or KidsCare insurance. All eligible babies have WIC (immunization, food, medicine, diapers, etc .).

TAPP mothers have shown with their high school degrees they are more apt to be wage earners. TAPP students are more likely to receive 1 st trimester prenatal care than other teens (79% with El Rio/Sunnyside program compared to 62% elsewhere). TAPP low birth weight rate among teen mothers was 0% compared to the 9.5% national and 16% Arizona rate.

The El Rio Sunnyside TeenAge Parent Program has demonstrated effectiveness by reducing the dropout rate and protecting the health of community teenagers and their babies.

For more information on El Rio's Sunnyside TeenAge Parent Program, please contact Barbara Novak, CNM at 889-6689.