A Limited Experiment. PPI initially proposes second-chance homes serve teen mothers under the age of 18 for three reasons. First, teen mothers under age 18 are the most likely of any welfare recipients to become long-term recipients of welfare. In fact, nearly half of long-term recipients are women who give birth before the age of 17.

Second, the requirement for many teen mothers to live in such homes sends a strong message to young females: Society no longer offers unconditional, open-ended financial support for teens who bear children out of wedlock. Government will help, but only if they meet mutual obligations: learning to be good parents, finishing school, and joining the workforce.

Third, mothers under age 18 represent only a small percentage of unwed teen mothers. In 1993, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that there were nearly 296,000 unmarried teen mothers on welfare, 67,000 of whom were under age 18. Not only are these mothers in need of the most help, but their small number represents a manageable start for communities ready to get involved.

Elements of a Successful Home. Across the country, successful prototypes for second-chance homes already exist. These homes respond to the reality of teen mothers' lives. Their designs incorporate all three elements necessary to offer them a chance to succeed: socialization, nurturing and support, and structure and discipline. They create a sense of order; help girls grow up to be women; require and support education and job training; provide health care, mentors, protection from abusive men, and a sense of family and belonging.

How do we Measure Success? PPI does not propose these homes as a guaranteed solution to the problem of teen pregnancy, but rather as a promising idea. The prototypes for these homes scattered across the country have produced some notable results: fewer second pregnancies, dramatically increased school completion rates for mothers, reduced incidence of child abuse, better maternal and child health, increased placement for adoption, higher employment rates, and reduced welfare dependency.

The idea is worth trying. If we cannot find a way to help teen mothers, their children will pay the price. The problem is urgent. There are now nine million children living in welfare families. As those nine million children reach adolescence, many are "scripted" to repeat the lives of their parents. We must intervene and break the cycle before those children, too, become a new generation of disadvantage.

Examples of residential treatment centers for pregnant teens exist in a number of states. These facilities can be small or large; they are usually funded by varying combinations of private and public monies. Some are located in inner cities, others in more rural areas.

Some have large professional staffs, others are staffed mainly by volunteers. Most accept teen mothers between the ages of 15 and 18 and limit their stay to about two years. The majority accept only teens who already have children, although a handful accept pregnant teens. Some programs must accept mothers assigned to them by the courts or social service agencies; others simply accept all of the applicants or referrals they can accommodate. All programs require participants to be enrolled in school or job training. In general, services include classes in parenting and life skills as well as some counseling and support services. Day care is an important component of these programs, though not always provided on-site. Vocational training and job placement services are sometimes available.

Alamogordo United Futures
1815 N. Florida Avenue
Alamogordo, NM 88310
Mobile Telephone: (505) 430-8897
For more information contact: Richard Brandner, Director

The Group Home serves both low-income elderly women capable of living independently and young women with their children. Family stability and intergenerational experience are encouraged. The 12-unit facility housing the United Futures Project is owned by Northwest Association for Retarded Citizens and mortgaged under HUD Section 202 funding for facilities for special needs populations.

Various services are provided to both the elderly women and the teenage mothers. Services available to seniors include transportation to the Alamo Senior Center, legal services, health promotion, and recreation at the Senior Center. Young mothers are provided child care assistance, assistance in enhancing life and parenting skills, and financial assistance for school. The state spends $25,000 to pay a portion of the director's salary; teen mothers are eligible for low-income rent subsidies; they pay their rent from their welfare checks.

Amity Street, Transitional Housing for Parenting Teens Catholic Charities, North Region
55 Lynn Shore Drive
Lynn, MA 01902
(617) 593-2312
For more information contact: Richard D. Muzzy, Director of Outreach and Youth Services

Amity Street consists of a nine-unit building that houses young single mothers ages 18-23 with one or two children under the age of five. The home opened in October 1987, and has served a total of 42 young mothers and 55 children. They are able to maintain their own residences with the support of Catholic Charities' staff for up to two years. The program offers counseling, case management, support groups, and assistance with employment training and education.

The program costs approximately $190,000 per year. Some funding for support services is received through the Department of Social Services. Residents are eligible for rent subsidies through the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program administered by the Lynn Housing Authority. United Way and local fundraising efforts further maintain the program.

Bridgeway
85 S. Union Boulevard - Suite 204
Lakewood, CO 80228
(303) 969-0515
For more information contact: Rich Haas, Executive Director

Founded in 1986, Bridgeway is a private, nonprofit organization that operates three homes and an education center for 16 pregnant teenagers and their babies. Parenting mothers can stay up to six months or more in a home supervised by live-in houseparents. Bridgeway has an annual budget of approximately $235,000 and is funded by workplace campaigns and business and individual donations.

Bridgeway provides counseling and classes in Lamaze childbirth, self-esteem, nutrition, parenting, adoption options, prenatal care, resume-writing, job skills, and drug abuse. Volunteers from the community serve as "Bridgers" who act as mentors.

Door of Hope
2799 Health Center Drive
San Diego, CA 92123
(619) 279-1100
For more information contact: Charlie Cox, Director

Door of Hope consists of two homes: one for pregnant teenagers, and one called Havens for young women with emotional and psychological problems. The maternity home serves approximately 50 residents per year, and Havens takes in an average of 25 young women per year. The women are admitted only if they are wards of the court or are legally emancipated from their guardians.

Door of Hope offers 24-hour supervision by residential managers, an on-campus public school, counseling, prenatal care, day care, and classes in independent living skills, parenting, alcohol and drug abuse, Lamaze childbirth, job placement, and discharge planning. There are 40 paid staff members in addition to volunteer support.

The cost of the program per girl for the maternity home is $2,360 per month, and for Havens it is $4,423 per month. The babies cost about $708 per month in both homes. Havens costs more because the young women placed there have fairly severe emotional, psychological, or behavioral problems and need more specialized care.

Father Pat Jackson House Program
1014 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(313) 761-1440
For more information contact: LaTresa Wiley

Father Pat's is a transitional home that houses five teenage mothers and their babies. Residents can stay for up to two years, but the average stay is four to six months. The house is staffed by a director, social worker, two house mothers, and two overnight staff. Volunteers are generally University of Michigan students who provide transportation and mentoring.

Due to Father Pat's affiliation with St. Mary's Parish, funding comes mostly from grants in the Catholic community and from private grants. The cost of the program is $260 a month per mother and baby, which is $15,600 a year for the total program.

Florence Crittenton Homes and Services of West Virginia
2606 National Road
Wheeling, WV 26003-5393
(304) 242-7060
For more information contact: Sharon Perry, Executive Secretary

FCHS of West Virginia was created in 1895 as a residential home for young mothers. In the 1991-92 program year it served more than 1,100 young mothers throughout West Virginia and Belmont County, Ohio. Pregnant teenagers are referred from the Department of Health and Human Resources, the judicial system, high school counselors, church leaders, and family members.

Located in a residential neighborhood, the facility is equipped with an alternative on-site school, a day care center, a health clinic, and counseling and case management services. The main facility is surrounded by three residential homes that are used for transitional living programs and is staffed full-time.

Crittenton also offers 10 community, home-based service sites. Programs here include maternity care, community outreach, pregnancy and child abuse prevention programs, day care, health clinics, support groups, Lamaze childbirth, child care, parent skills training, adoption and adoption counseling, family and group counseling, life skills training, case management, and family preservation services.

FCHS is funded by foundations, corporations, private donations, and client fees.

Homes for the Homeless
36 Cooper Square, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10003
(212) 529-5252
For more information, contact: Page Bartels, Director of Development and External Affairs

Founded in 1986, Homes for the Homeless is a comprehensive, residential nonprofit organization that has served 8,400 families including more than 18,300 children in New York City. The cost of the program is $12,000 per person annually, or $36,000 per family annually. Homes for the Homeless also operates two summer camps for homeless children.

Homes for the Homeless operates four "American Family Inns," which offer housing and comprehensive services to homeless mothers and their children. A needs assessment is developed for each family upon entry to the centers. Assistance is offered in the areas of health care, educational enhancement for both parents and children, employment training, foster care, independent living skills, substance abuse treatment, and follow-up services. Two innovative aspects of the program are a "safe nursery" for children at risk of abuse and an in-house apprenticeship program, where residents learn job skills by working within the organization.

Northwest Maternity Center
4010 12th Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20017
(202) 483-7008
For more information contact: Elizabeth Segal

The Northwest Maternity Center is a private/nonprofit residential facility for five mothers with one or two children, which operates in tandem with the Pregnancy Center. The center has been open for two years, and 26 young women have completed the program. The two facilities exist on a shoestring budget of $160,000 a year, with the Maternity Center getting about $60,000 of that amount. Funding comes from private individuals and corporate donors and includes donations of food, toys, and furniture.

The center has flexible admission and length of stay requirements. The mothers are between the ages of 15 and 24, and stay less than two years. They are referred from community agencies, schools, and the Pregnancy Center.

The only paid staff members are the director and the social services director, so the home depends heavily on a volunteer staff of 18. The program includes counseling, referrals, and classes in parenting, child development, basic skills, and self-esteem.

Seton Home
1115 Mission Road
San Antonio, TX 78210
(210) 533-3504
For more information contact: Brenda Tatro, Executive Director

Licensed by the state of Texas, Seton Home is a group home for pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers, aged 12-20. The facility consists of two cottages, each of which houses eight mothers and their babies. Approximately 35 mothers go through the program each year.

Each cottage is staffed by one house mother or independent living skills instructor. In addition, Seton Home has a social service director, volunteer coordinator, and an executive director. Volunteers perform such tasks as office work, yard work, and mother's day out activities.

Seton Home has an annual budget of $330,000. The United Way provides 20 percent of the funding, while the remainder comes from grants, fundraising projects, direct mail campaigns, and support for money for some mothers from the state.

St. Ann's Infant and Mothers' Home
4901 Eastern Avenue
Hyattsville, MD 20782
(301) 559-5500
For more information contact: Peggy Howard Gatewood, Director

St. Ann's, a Catholic charity, has taken in pregnant women since its inception in 1860. In 1983, it established a program for adolescent mothers and their babies. Currently 14 young women, aged 16-19, and their babies live at the home for up to two years. On average, 23 young women go through the program annually. Many are referred from foster care and other public agencies, while some are homeless and come in off the street.

The cost is $175 daily for a mother and baby. Funding is provided by a combination of state block grants, local government appropriations, allocations from the United Way, and private grants. For those who can afford it, payment is based on sliding scale.

The mothers are supervised 24 hours a day by a staff of 27, including social workers, nurses, child care workers, a parenting specialist, a job placement specialist, and a child psychologist.

St. Elizabeth's Regional Maternity Center, Southern Indiana
621 E. Market Street
New Albany, IN 47150
(812) 949-7305
For more information contact: Joan Smith, Founder and Director

Established in 1989, St. Elizabeth's consists of two homes: a maternity home for pregnant teenage women and an aftercare home for teen mothers and their babies. St. Elizabeth's is funded by donations from private individuals and corporate donors, community development block grants, HUD, the March of Dimes, and HHS. In the past six years, 182 babies have been born at St. Elizabeth's. There are no age restrictions, although most of the mothers are aged 15-20. They are referred from schools, doctors, hospitals, and word of mouth.

The cost per mother and child is $80 a day in the maternity home, and residents who are able pay the home on a sliding scale. The aftercare home costs $4,800 per year per mother and child, thanks to a $1.5 million grant from HUD and a multitude of in-kind contributions from community groups. While it depends heavily on volunteer support, St. Elizabeth's has 14 full-time staffers, including three with MSW degrees, and two part-time employees.

The home offers parenting and child care classes, self- esteem classes, and counseling. One staff member is a sex abuse therapist and provides individual counseling as well as group sessions and family counseling.

T.A.M.I. (Teen-Age Mothers and Infants) House
509 Branard Road
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 527-0718
For more information contact: Barbara Reid, Executive Director

The Teen-Age Mothers and Infants House is a traditional home that houses up to six mothers with their babies. Residents live in T.A.M.I. House for an average of 10-12 months, but others are there anywhere from six-18 months. Mothers can be 16-17 1/2 years old when they enter the program. Funding comes from the Child Protective Services, Community Development Block Grants, the United Way, private donations, and churches. The cost per resident is $15 a day for a baby and $35 a day for a mother.

The staff consists of a single female house parent and a nursery worker. In addition, pro bono therapists are hired to council the residents. Volunteers are used only to augment the professional staff, to help in the nursery, get food at the food bank, or perform general office duties. The program encourages residents to enrich their lives by attending plays, visiting museums, and participating in community events.

Teen Mothers Program/Sasha Bruce Youthwork
701 Maryland Avenue, N.E.
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 675-9380
For more information contact: Brenda Lockley, Director

The Teen Mothers Program is a residential treatment facility for five teenage mothers and their babies run by the Sasha Bruce Youthwork program, a private, nonprofit agency. The Teen Mothers Program is funded directly by grants from the DC Department of Human Services, Family Service Division. It costs approximately $110 per day per person to run the program. The participants are aged 15-18 and stay from 18 months to two years. The teen mothers are referred by the court system and are wards of the DC government. All court- remanded cases must be accepted into the home.

Residents are offered a number of classes in cooking, child care, female health and sexuality, and living and parenting skills. Counseling, tutoring, art therapy, and referrals are also available.

There are no resident staff members; supervision is provided by two staffers at a time based on rotating shifts. Volunteers and foster grandparents are important elements of the program.

The Teen Parent Residence
1750 Indian School Road, N.E.
Apartment 109
Albuquerque, NM 87104
(505) 246-2497
For more information contact: Barbara Calderon, Center Director, Albuquerque Job Corps

The Teen Parent Residence is a referral-only home for 14 young mothers and their babies, aged 14-22. During the four and a half years the program has been running, 117 participants have gone through the program. Professionals provide counseling and training in health, nutrition, parenting skills, independent living, family planning, safety, child development, self-esteem building, and necessary life skills such as budgeting and shopping.

Each teen and her baby receive AFDC, Food Stamps, WIC, and Medicaid. Out of the AFDC money, the rent and utilities are paid as well as other basic requirements. Child care is provided by the Children, Youth, and Families Department during the day to allow the mothers to attend school. The program is maintained through state funding with community organizations providing furniture for the apartments and supplies for the project.

Kathleen Sylvester is the vice president of domestic policy for the Progressive Policy Institute.