A Program For Teen Parents

The Teen Parenting Program at District 214 provides the student with facts, information, and resources concerning pregnancy, labor and delivery, and parenting.  A teenage pregnancy can be difficult and District 214 understands the seriousness and sensitivity of the situation.  There is a team in place to support pregnant teens:  school nurse, counselor, social worker, psychologist, and teen parenting coordinator. 

District 214 teens who are pregnant or have delivered and are parenting their baby, may be eligible to attend Vanguard School and participate in Prenatal and Parenting Classes along with continuing the student’s high school curriculum.  Additional requirements for admission are evaluated individually.

Prenatal & Parenting Class

The prenatal portion of the class is designed to provide the pregnant teens with facts and information regarding a healthy pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum experience.  

Teens who are pregnant, or have delivered and are parenting their baby, are also invited to attend this class. Topics for this portion of class include goal setting, consumer education, relationship building, communication and decision making, continued education, and parenting awareness.  Additional items addressed include raising healthy children, childhood education and discipline. 

One of the goals is to encourage completion of high school and provide resources toward a post high school career. The prenatal and parenting classes provide social-emotional groups, and individual counseling. Teen fathers are encouraged to participate in the program.  

District 214 students that choose to remain in their home school are encouraged to participate in individual sessions with the teen parenting social worker who can bring curriculum materials to the home school based on the student’s specific needs. If multiple students from the same home school are participating in the Hopeful Beginnings program, a group can be created among those students. The students would then still be entitled to weekly one on one sessions with the social worker in addition to the once-a-week group meeting.

How to Enroll

Registered district students can be referred by the school nurse, a counselor or social worker. The Teen Parenting Coordinator will do an on-site assessment to determine the needs of each individual student.  Every effort will be made to provide an assessment within one week of the request.

Rachel Sullivan the current Teen Parenting Coordinator welcomes the student’s parent or guardian involvement. Please email her at teen.parenting@d214.org, call her directly at 847-951-6384 or call the office at 847-870-8181 to discuss any questions or concerns.