Adolescent Family Life Program
Teen Fatherhood Speakers Bureau
Goals
- Reduce teen pregnancy
- Promote male responsibility
- Introduce and improve parenting skills of young teen fathers
Services
- Ventura County AFLP Public Health social workers offer assistance to young teen fathers when dealing with local schools, Behavioral Health, Juvenile Justice System, Medical, and Social Services.
- The Teen Father Program provides resources such as employment assistance, mentoring, counseling on child rearing and partner relationships, substance abuse, and legal rights of fathers.
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It is important for young fathers to learn the meaning of respect and responsibility. Too often young males engage in unprotected sex, then become faced with the reality they are becoming fathers. As teenagers these sexually active young men are not prepared to handle the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy. In most cases the young fathers do not have the resources and information needed to fulfill their obligations.
The Teen Speaker’s Bureau provides a volunteer group of teen fathers who speak to high school and middle school student audiences on the challenges of being a teen parent. The speakers are provided training in public speaking and are trained to provide a preventive message to young teens that may be, or are considering becoming sexually active.
Teen Father’s Speaker’s operates with the following facts in mind. Children and adolescents without an involved father are:
- At higher risk for violent behavior, child abuse and substance abuse.
- More likely to join a “gang”.
- More likely to perform poorly in school and eventually drop out.
- Likely to become teen parents.
Resources and Links
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Adolescent Family Life Program