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

Community-Based, School-Linked Programs

Young Family Independence Program

Mission:

Help young families break the cycle of poverty by becoming personally responsible and economically self-sufficient and provide resources to improve their health and well-being.

In existence since 1987, YFIP is a comprehensive school-linked program housed in a suburban county facility. Annually, the program serves approximately 40 pregnant teens, 100 teen mothers, and 91 teen fathers. YFIP's students are white (60 percent), African-American (20 percent), Asian (10 percent), and Hispanic (10 percent), 13 to 21 years old.

YFIP offers a long-term comprehensive and coordinated case management approach to services for low-income pregnant and parenting teens and their families. Services at six sites include health care, parenting education, life skills development, professional counseling, academic tutoring, school completion, occupational skills training, employment, and referral services for child care and other services. An important goal of the program is increasing the clients? self-respect and self-esteem.

King County administers YFIP on behalf of multiple service providers. Each site has a case manager who visits homes, a public health nurse, a mental health therapist, and a nutritional aide. Local providers involve the community in the design of programs offered at each of the program locations.

YFIP has created a holistic service model by networking with all the agencies needed to provide the resources and services for success. These agencies include the health department, school districts, community and technical colleges, Department of Social and Health Services, Youth and Family Network Services, and an array of churches, coalitions, and organizations that have mobilized to address the problems of teen pregnancy and parenting.

The cornerstone of YFIP is to help teens develop individual education plans that will either place them back in high school or in a GED program, with follow-up vocational training and postsecondary educational programs. Case managers assist teens in obtaining grants and scholarships to fund tuition, books, and child care.

Success is documented through quarterly progress reports, termination forms, 90-day and 12-month follow-up, and an annual independent evaluation.

[Teens Entering College Now]

[Y's Parent Center]