Promoting Growth, Responsibility and Education with Spiritual Support to teen parents

OUR STORY

Responding to a need from the community in 2002 Ravenswood Community Child Care Center (RC4) was founded with a mission to serve the teen parents in our neighboring high schools. The goal was to help young parents finish high school and transition into adulthood. This vision included providing high quality childcare to the community as well as the teen parents.  To accomplish the dual goals of serving the teen parents and the community, one third of the center’s childcare capacity was dedicated to the children of teen parents.

The Parenting ProGRESS program supports teen parents from the community whose children attend the childcare center.  The program is funded through generous individual donations and grants, including Action for Children, the Sulzer Family Foundation and the Covenant Children’s Ministry grant.  Ravenswood Covenant Church and the childcare center provide both space and staff for the program.

Parenting ProGRESS recognizes the need for a compassionate and comprehensive approach to addressing the major life roles of teen parents and aims to supplement services that they receive through the child care center and their high schools.

SUPPORT

Participants receive support by meeting collectively and individually with the program director and their mentors. Parents are given the opportunity to learn basic life and parenting skills in addition to assistance accessing community services.

Parenting ProGRESS is a multifaceted and individualized program designed to assist teens in making the difficult transition from high school students to productive adult citizens with the added challenges that parenting creates. Where other resources end, or simply can’t go, Parenting ProGRESS begins!

Services include: monthly life skills workshops, baby items: diapers, clothes, etc., connecting support between parents and day care staff, mentor program, goal setting, educational support, employment support, special events, referrals, assistance with Action for Children approval (state program that subsidizes child care) and one-on-one support for various topics.

SERVE

Donations and volunteers make this program possible. Here are a few ways to get involved:

– Donate: new or gently used baby/toddler items, wipes, formula, Books, toys, gifts for children or moms, gift cards.

– Volunteer: to lead a life skills class (cooking, budgeting, resume writing, interview skills, relationship skills, health care, parenting, etc.) or to be a mentor to a teen parent.

-Pray for our parents, children, mentors, and staff

“Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”– I Thessalonians 5:11

 If you are interested in getting involved or if you are a teen parent who would like to join the program, please contact:

Denise Anderson (Director)

parentingprogress(at)ravenscov.org

or call the church office for more information: 773-784-7091