As a fifth grade first baseman on the Winder-Barrow Cubs recreational softball team, I became fast friends with Kim and Christy (though they were just mere fourth graders). Over the next two years, we became inseparable as our comeback squad climbed from worst to first. We went to the batting cages and practiced fielding line drives. We laughed; we cried (you get the picture)….but after awhile, our friendship drifted into the realm of mere acquaintance when Kim and Christy entered the wide world of Winder-Barrow High School (with its myriads of clicks) and I continued my education at a local Christian school. I still ran into Christy at Wednesday night youth group and we often chatted about our crushes of the month and eventually her new boyfriend. I eventually completely lost touch with Kim—I only heard about her life through the grapevine.
Even so, I must admit it came as a shock to me (though I suppose it shouldn’t have given the locale of our upbringing) during my freshman year of college to learn that both girls were pregnant.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, Christy (who hailed from an upper middle class background) managed to finish high school. Although her parents were disappointed, they rallied around Christy, providing both financial and moral support. Christy remained in a nurturing environment. Although they didn’t get married, the young man who got Christy pregnant played a vital role in young Samantha’s life. In fact, it was in large part due to this experience that Christy decided to become a nurse. So, once more, her family pitched in and Christy juggled caring for Sam and attending college. Today, Christy is happily married, working at a local hospital and has a beautiful ten-year-old daughter.
Things didn’t go as well for Kim, who lacked Christy’s nurturing environment. You see Kim came from a part of Barrow County that I didn’t get to that often. Though I didn’t know it at the time, Kim played softball through a scholarship program. With three children, Kim’s parents often struggled to make ends meet. And, when she got pregnant during her senior year, her family wasn’t able to offer her much in the way of support. Though she was a good student, Kim was forced to drop out of school because of her situation and began working at the local Dairy Queen. The last I heard, things weren’t getting much better for Kim. A single mom (lacking any support from the baby’s father), Kim lives in a single-wide trailer down a dirt road a few miles away from her family. Though she wanted to get her GED, Kim struggled to find the time, juggling caring for Jackie and working full-time as an assistant manager at Dairy Queen (while making only slightly more than minimum wage).
Unfortunately, Christys are the exceptions and Kims are the general rule in this area. For individuals like Kim with little family support, the community provides few services. Based on the anecdotal evidence that I have seen and experienced, support breeds success in teen moms. In order to give teen moms the tools to succeed and become greater contributors to our communities, they need the resources to finish their high school education. Like Dr. Claude Burnett, I believe that combating teen pregnancy is key in the battle to end the cycle of poverty. So, I leave you with two questions: what can we do as a community to combat teen pregnancy? Is combating teen pregnancy the only solution to ending the cycle of poverty?
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2 comments:
It seems to me that perhaps we should try to combat teen pregnancy by preventing it. I know that sex ed is taught in schools, but maybe we could improve it somehow? It would be easier to prevent teen pregnancy rather than have to deal with it, though I know that would be quite something to accomplish.
Obviously preventing teen pregnancy is optimal. But I think the question you are asking about support systems is what is most important. We won't ever be able to completely prevent unplanned pregnancies. So it seems more productive to focus on how to take care of the children and mothers.
I think mothers of all ages and situations face a lack of support in our society. We lack the family support systems that we had to help us out historically; grandmoms, sisters, and cousins. And there is a childcare crises going on in the U.S.. Not enough childcare is available regardless of quality.
To add to that we live in a society that wants to corral children into specific 'child friendly' places, instead of teaching them to adapt to different situations. People frown on children in so many situations that I often feel stigmatized if I have my kid with me.
I think it would be helpful to look at how income levels and drop after women have children. I wonder if anyone has done studies on this that included all mothers, not just teens.
The local mothers center has been very successful in offering support to many women throughout the years. The bring meals to new moms, offer support groups, social outtings, free clothes swaps, and even some job networking and training.
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