During my time researching “The Young Families Program” I found that there is not just one creator of this program. Every community has a different version of a young families program but they all have the same philosophy and that is to help and encourage young families to complete their education and be provided the basis needs required to live a happy healthy life.
This is the research I have found but it is to be continued……….
Young Parents Program in the Comox Valley
In 1993 the Young Parents Program was formed in the Comox Valley. This program was started to help young parents be able to finish their high school education. In this program there is support with education, childcare, social needs, health needs. This program continues to run now in the G.P Vanier high school and is available for all young families with the help of Ministry of child and family development.
This program has a coordinator that is employed to help a young family with transportation, mental health support and to guide them to all the other programs that are available to help them. They are provided with a health care nurse for before and post child birth. As well the nurse will help with all other health needs. A dental hygiene’s is available as well.
The young families programs across BC are dedicated programs that support and empower young families. These programs believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity along with have the right to have their basic needs such as food, housing, health care, education, and child care to be met.
There are lots of programs that a young family or teen parent program will fall under. BC Council for families is another alliance whom goal is for the Alliance is to help you make your support system the strongest it can be. BCCF help grow your support system by offering diverse BC-wide network of family service workers, teachers, child care workers, researchers and advocates have a place to:
Connect
Share information
Collaborate
Build a sense of community
There are different programs that run in every district.
Ministry of child and family development would be able to direct a program that is available in certain districts.
Websites include:
https://www.bccf.ca/program/program-3/
http://www.ypsn.ca/
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/income-assistance/on-assistance/fyp
The high school that I attended had a similar program, this was prior to 1993 (I’m giving away my age!!) and there was such negativity surrounding it. The thought was if a program like Young Parents existed, there would be an increase in teen pregnancy. I am so glad that attitudes have (mostly) changed and young parents have the opportunity to finish high school. It not only improves quality of life for the teen parents and their child(ren), but it also is better for the whole community.
Sarah, this program sounds really nice. It is good to know that there are programs to help people finish their high school. There are so many people that feel that they are too old to go back to school or feel embarrassed to go back to finishing high school because of their age. I enjoyed reading your post.