Parental Experiences for Teenage Mothers Living in Poverty: Associations of Head Start

Abstract

This study utilizes Head Start Impact Study data to examine whether Head Start is associated with teenage mothers’ experiences. Among 3,576 participants, 579 mothers were identified as teenage mothers (under 19 years old). Research questions included (1) compared to nonteenage mothers, do teenage mothers have different maternal experiences such as informal social support, formal social service use, mental health, and child-rearing skills? (2) does Head Start have any association with the experiences of teenage mothers? Teen mothers had less education, lower family incomes, and were less likely to be married than nonteenage mothers. Teenage mothers were most likely to identify as black and least likely to identify as Hispanic. Teenage mothers were more likely to speak English at home and live in rural areas. Further, regression analysis indicated that teenage mothers used less formal social services and displayed less mental health problems than nonteenage mothers. There was not a significant association on parental experiences for teenage mothers participating in Head Start. Study implications include using teen mothers’ voices to inform service needs, increasing strengths-based interventions, and raising awareness or creating nonstigmatizing programs for teen mothers.