Everyone has the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people aging out of care. Our contributions will be unique, as our abilities and resources can vary. However, there is always something that we can do. By Lisa SchelbeMarch 14, 2024Service...
How to Use Storytelling as a Vehicle for Social Change
6 Storytelling Lessons Learned while Creating the Casey Young Parents Stories.By Patricia Natalie, MA June 8, 2023When I first joined Healthy Teen Network in March 2022, my first project was to “create stories about young parents that can affect policy change.” Wow, I...
How the Dobbs Decision Affects Youth in Care and Recommendations for Providers
How a post-Roe world affects youth in care: some general thoughts and suggestions for practitioners and researchers.December 12, 2022The United States has seen a dramatic reduction in the rates of both unintended pregnancy and childbearing among people of all races...
Eight Factors to Increase Postsecondary Success among Young Parents in and Aging out of Foster Care
The Practical Application of the Young Parents Logic ModelBy Gina Desiderio By Milagros Garrido, MS, PMP July 22, 2022Young parents thrive when they have access to quality supports and services. The complicating factor is that these supports and services cross over so...
SEARChing to Address Dyslexia–Capes Not Required
Identifying and treating dyslexia early is essential to closing the education gap. By Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah By Lisa Schelbe, PhD March 17, 2022I(Esaa) don’t care for the profile of social workers, and those who help others, as heroes without capes. Heroes are...
Storms & Blossoms: Navigating Parenting During the Pandemic
Stories directly from foster care system alumni about parenting during the pandemic—their challenges, triumphs, and moreBy Elizabeth Aparicio, PhDBy Svetlana Shpiegel, PhDFebruary 10, 2022As we close in on the two-year anniversary since the start of the COVID-19...
Bridging the Gap: How Caseworkers and Caregivers Can Support the Sexual & Reproductive Health of System Involved Youth
Child welfare actors (e.g., caseworkers, caregivers) are a lynchpin in bridging gaps in services and education that promote sexual health agency and autonomy for youth in child welfare service.By Katie Massey Combs, PhD June 28, 2021As a recent MSW graduate and young...
Lemonade Musings: Seeing Youths’ Strengths
I have never liked the phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I share this so what I write will not be dismissed as musings of a bubbly-happy-go-lucky-always-look-on-the-bright-side-of-life-optimist. By Lisa Schelbe, PhD, MSW May 27, 2021We must use a...
Connecting Pregnant and Parenting Foster Youth with Home Visiting Services
Collaboration between the home visiting and child welfare systems benefits adolescent parents and their children. By Amy Dworsky, PhDApril 22, 2021A dolescent motherhood is difficult under the best of circumstances. Adolescent mothers must navigate both the normative...
Child Trends, Chapin Hall, and Healthy Teen Network Awarded Competitive Grant from Office of Population Affairs
Activate shares essential research for youth-supporting professionals.March 22, 2021For Immediate ReleaseChild Trends, together with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Healthy Teen Network, has been awarded a competitive grant from the U.S. Department of...
Were you in foster care?
If so, we want to hear from you. Text the word STORIES to 313131January 29, 2021If you are 18 to 26 years old, currently parenting a child, and were in foster care around age 17, or have "aged-out" of foster care, we want to hear from you! We're now enrolling for a...
ReSHAPING Launches Partnership with Healthy Teen Network and New Website
Looking for the latest research on sexual health and adolescent parents in out of home care? We have it for you on ReSHAPING’s brand new website.By Claudette Grinnell-Davis, PhD, MS, MSWBy Bryn King, PhD, MSWOctober 27, 2020Do you know where you can find the latest...
How to Find Housing and Services for Young People Who Are Pregnant or Parenting
We often get questions from young people who are pregnant or parenting, looking for housing and other support services. We do not provide housing or direct services, but we have put together a list of resources that may help young people find some answers.By Gina...
Everything We Need to Know about Human Trafficking We Did NOT Learn from Law & Order
This is an overview of human trafficking in honor of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day (Jan 11th): What is it? What are the signs? What do we do?By Alex Eisler, MPA January 10, 2019A few years ago, I started working on something new—new to me anyway. We began a...
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