NEKYS News, Grant Award
Pregnant and Parenting

Youth in Transition (YIT) Program hosts Pregnant and Parenting Group

Northeast Kingdom Youth Services (NEKYS) YIT program staff learned that many of the young adults they work with were concerned about the lack of pregnant and parenting education and support in the community. These young adults reported the primary community focus was on prevention, with little emphasis placed on providing services for young people who are already pregnant and/or are parenting.

With the support of The Vermont Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, the YIT staff set about creating a youth empowerment project by developing a pregnant and parenting group.  Staff created an informational survey, which was completed by 15 young adults to gather ideas of what the youth wanted from the group. The staff then tailored the group around the interests expressed.

The Pregnant and Parenting Group met for nine sessions. Nine healthcare providers facilitated each session. Topics included: preparing for the arrival of their baby, healthy well-being and mental wellness, breast and bottle feeding, how to choose a daycare and daycare subsidies for parents, the WIC program and infant/toddler CPR, healthy relationships between partners and between peers, and the SMART team presented for addicted pregnant moms on how to stay healthy. All the participants received a car seat and many items to assist with the care of their child.

The group of 14 young adults was successful and a final survey showed that the participants had a stronger understanding and connection with local area services. They also reported making connections to peers that are parenting or pregnant.