St. Mary's Alternative School

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Compendium of School-Based and School-Linked Programs for Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents, February 1999

Alternative Schools for Pregnant and Parenting Teens

St. Mary's Alternative School

Agency:	St. Mary's Alternative School St. Mary's Women and Infants Center 90 Cushing Avenue Dorchester, Massachusetts 02125
Telephone: Fax:	(617) 436-8600, extension 282 (617) 288-9476
Contact Person:	Catherine Brown, Teacher/Coordinator
Annual Budget:	$100,000
Primary Funding Source:	Boston Public Schools

Mission:

Provide a secure, nurturing, and supportive environment that encourages students to maintain current grade level instruction while pregnant and facilitate direct reentry into the larger school community following childbirth.

Profile:

St. Mary's Alternative School, in existence since 1973, is lodged in a community-based facility in an inner city. On an annual basis, approximately 62 pregnant and 5 parenting teen mothers enroll in the school, and child care is provided on site for 5 children. The program serves African-American (40 percent), Hispanic (32 percent), white (13 percent), other (Cape Verdean, Jamaican, Haitian) (10 percent), and Asian (5 percent) students, 11 to 19 years old.

Description of Service Model:

The school provides a wide range of services to pregnant adolescent mothers, including prenatal education, parenting classes, life skills education, academic and vocational programs, health and HIV/AIDS education, violence prevention training, job placement, peer leadership program, and career counseling.

Evaluation Methods:

Success of the program is measured by graduation rates, follow-up, and job placement records.

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