I’ve written before that teen pregnancy is considered an epidemic in this country. But we need to be realistic about dealing with it. The program I discuss below realistically deals with pregnant teenagers. We definitely need more programs like this one in the US! Read on….


Twenty one years ago in January a revolutionary program for pregnant teen mothers and their children’s fathers was launched at Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Arizona. This program helps teen parents complete their education and receive a high school diploma at the same time teaching them the necessary skills needed to be a good parent.

Currently there are 57 girls and 10 boys enrolled in the program at Sunnyside. They range in age from twelve to nineteen. The program offers them parenting classes as well as classes in child development and has an on site clinic where expectant mothers can receive prenatal care. There is also a nursery for infants.

Here are a few facts comparing teens from the program at Sunnyside High School to teens nationwide.

• Nationwide the drop out rate of pregnant teens is sixty percent while at Sunnyside it is less than twenty percent.



• Thirty three percent of the nation’s pregnant high school students will get pregnant again before graduation while at Sunnyside it’s averaged about thee percent for the last three years.



• In Arizona, about sixty two percent of pregnant teens get prenatal care in their first three months of pregnant while at Sunnyside it’s seventy seven percent.

Valla Dalrymple is the director of the teen parent program and is very proud of the statistics and the long history of the success that the program has had.

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

More posts about teen pregnancy:
Teen Pregnancy Part 1
Interview with a teen mom who parented her child
Intertiview with a teen mom who placed her child for adoption
Teen Pregnancy Series Part 4, Conclusion