December 15, 2009
Taking Charge Program helps young parents build skills, complete education
By Janell Ross
THE TENNESSEAN
SEASON TO GIVE: Part of a continuing series
Leslie Tucker, 17, wasn't planning to become a mother when she did.
But, once she gave birth to her son Robert Tucker, nine months ago, there was a lot that she suddenly needed to know that most teenagers don't.
"There was just a lot that I didn't even know I didn't know," Tucker said.
Tucker is one of 110 teen parents who have signed up to participate in the United Neighborhood Health Service's Taking Charge Program. The Nashville nonprofit program aims to build healthy life, relationship and parenting skills and help young parents complete their educations and become thriving members of society despite early parenthood, said Lynn Stuart, who is the overall coordinator for the United Health Service's teen programs and services.
The agency, which operates a number of community clinics where its patients are billed on a sliding scale based upon their income, also operates five programs geared toward teenagers. The Taking Charge Program is trying to build a cadre of young parents who have the knowledge and skills necessary to make good choices for themselves and their children, said Stuart.
"They taught me how to bathe a child safely, how to administer CPR, how to apply for and really look at a day care so that you don't just let anybody watch your child … and how to sign up for some of the tests I'm going to need to go to college,'' Tucker said. "It's just the place where I can go to learn a lot of things I really need."
The program provides educational groups, individual counseling, home visits, and case management services to pregnant, parenting and at-risk teens in every high school and middle school in Davidson County and last year served about 200 male and female young parents. Students come to the program's attention because of referrals from teachers, nurses, community organizations, family members, and friends, said Stuart.
"We want our young people to be self sufficient, not to be in a position to depend on anyone or anything else for their survival and livelihood in the long term," said Stuart.
More than 90 percent of the program's participants do graduate from high school, Stuart said.
Sarah Tucker, Leslie's mother, wasn't happy when she learned that she was going to become a grandmother.
"It was not what I wanted for her. It wasn't the goal that I had set for her. But I learned to deal with it," said Sarah Tucker. "We talked to pastors and they said everybody makes mistakes. Every family goes though ups and downs, and we are still learning and growing with a new one in the house. But I am certainly very grateful that this program has been here for us."
When Leslie graduates at the end of this school year, she plans to enroll in Tennessee State University or Middle Tennessee State University's nursing programs and later transfer to Western Kentucky University.
"I'm not giving up," said Leslie Tucker. "I'm going to pursue my dreams while I do what's best for my son and become a pediatric nurse like I always dreamed."
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