COVID-19 Response: Serving Young Families Where They're At Now

Updated: August 12, 2020

COVID-19 has exasperated the inequities and challenges Teen Success, Inc.'s young families face on a daily basis. The challenges and barriers they were facing as young parents before the health crisis remain, but now they are experiencing all of the additional challenges of the effects of COVID-19. Many of our young moms and their extended families have lost their jobs or are unable to work. We’re working on a daily basis to connect them and their families to critical resources.

They're also experiencing increases in both mental health challenges and parenting stress. Many were already struggling to stay on top of classes and connected to school, which is now proving to be even harder with distance learning. On top of the increasing demand for technology their education requires (but doesn’t provide), they’re also caring for their children full-time because the daycares they counted on at school are closed.

In the city of San Jose alone, it's estimated that almost 40% of their student population doesn't have computers or access to the internet (The Mercury News).

We’re adapting daily to better serve our participants and meet their needs at whatever stage they may be personally and as mothers. We increased our focus on supporting basic needs and safety, so they can get through this time and continue on their educational journeys.
​
Here’s a short list of some of the adaptations we’ve made:
 

1. Our staff is making sure basic needs are met, such as having essential items like diapers, wipes, and health products. We make sure they know where and how to access additional resources, too, including free lunches through schools and mental health services if needed.
2. Peer Learning Groups are on Zoom now and learning focuses on self-care, relieving stress, and staying connected. When any of our participants can’t connect this way, their Advocate provides support via text and phone calls.
3. Our staff are creating Mommy-and-Me kits and doing no-contact deliveries. The kits contain age-appropriate activities our participants can do with their children, and tips for managing stress while parenting during shelter-in-place, to reduce the potential of child abuse. 
4. Together, our young mothers and their Advocates are coming up with ways to keep working on their education, so they’ll still be on their path to graduation and post-secondary once they’re able to return to school. This process looks a little different for each young mother, depending on what school she is attending and what access to technology she has at home.

 
Through these challenging times, we remain as committed as ever to supporting young mothers and their children on their pathways to prosperity.

Donate here to support our work with young families.