Project Background

The Parenting for the First Time project is a 4-site, longitudinal study of a representative sample of 397 adolescent mothers and their children – focusing on their diverse social and cultural contexts; the early identification of neglect, its antecedents, and consequences; and the availability and likely impact of teen parenting programs and supports in these communities.

A comparison group of 285 adult mothers will provide valuable data about more mature parenting practices and attitudes within diverse ethnic/cultural and socio-economic groups, as well as establish norms related to new measures of neglect.  The adult sample will permit ascertaining whether the “successful” teen mothers display parenting behaviors that essentially mimic adult parenting within their culture and community, or whether they use distinctive parenting approaches to overcome the typical risks faced by young mothers in today’s world.

The proposed study identifies risks as well as protective factors that will be measured in detail to better map the multiple and fluctuating social ecologies and personal life circumstances of teen mothers and their young children.