The Lamar University Electronic Journal of Student Research Summer 2008 The Effects of Free Day Care Services on High School Graduation Ratesof Teen Mothers: Implications for Counseling Joyce Pappas Finch, Ed.D. Lone Star College William Allan Kritsonis, PhD Professor and Faculty Mentor PhD Program in Educational Leadership The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education Prairie View A&M University Member of the Texas A&M University System Prairie View, Texas Visiting Lecturer (2005) Oxford Round Table University of Oxford, Oxford, England Distinguished Alumnus (2004) College of Education and Professional Studies Central Washington University Special Note: Thanks to Dr. Kimberly Grantham Griffith and Dr. William Allan Kritsonis for getting the article published in the United States of America. _________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT This study examined the effects of free day care services on high school graduation rates of teen mothers. The sample consisted of 167 teen mothers in three suburban public school districts in the fourth largest city of the United States. Three statistically significant differences were found, and they were free day care services, family status, and grade level. Learning about pregnant and parenting teens is a worthwhile tool for counselors in order to divest themselves of harmful stereotypes when counseling this vulnerable population. _________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: family status, shotgun marriages, teen mothers, free day care services Teens are having children when they are children themselves. For the past 15 years, the United States saw a decline in teen births. However, the National Vital Statistics (Martin, Hamilton, Sutton, Ventura, Menacker, Kirmeyer, & Munson, 2007) reported teen births rose in 2006, and this was the first time teen births increased since 1991. This increase indicated that more than ever a significant number of American teens were having unplanned pregnancies causing teenage mothers to drop out of high school and to live in poverty (Planned Parenthood, 2007). The United States still records the highest teen pregnancy rate among industrialized nations (Yoo, Johnson, Rice, & Manuel, 2004). History of Early Childbearing Historically, early childbearing was common before and after World War II, the 1950s, and most of the 1960s. However, there is no professional literature concerning teen births at this period of time because the teen mother married the father of her baby. These marriages were referred to as “shotgun marriages.” If a teen became pregnant 40 years ago, she and baby’s father would drop out of high school and marry. He would get a job in a factory, buy a house, and put his child or children through school (DeWitt, 1994). Furstenberg (2003) declared that at the height of the baby boom birth, which was in 1957, 96.3 per 1,000 women were teen mothers. This figure meant that almost 10 percent of teenagers were giving birth every year as compared to five percent today (Furstenberg, 2003). As long as the pregnant teen married the father of her baby, the public was not concerned even though these marriages were at a greater risk of failure (Furstenberg, 2003). By the late 1960s, pregnant teens and women decided not to marry the fathers of their babies, and the first to see a decline in marriage was among the poor Black (Furstenberg, 2003). Black teen births rose because the teen mother did not think a “shotgun marriage” was the solution. Deindustrialization and the loss of union jobs among Blacks were factors contributing to marital instability and out-of-wedlock childbearing among Blacks as opposed to Whites (Furstenberg, 2003). Lifelong Difficulties Associated with Teen Mothers In today’s industrialized world, teenage childbearing jeopardizes the teen mother’s education (SmithBattle, 2003). This interruption in education limits her opportunities in the labor market, which leads to continued poverty, dependence on welfare, and low-skilled jobs (SmithBattle, 2003). It is estimated that 80 percent of teen mothers end up on welfare (VanLenten, 2007). They face enormous odds because the majority of ten mothers come from poor and low-income families (Amin, Browne, Ahmed, & Soto, 2006). According to Lerman (1997), the heart of the teen mothers’ condition is poverty, and poverty is more influential than race or ethnicity. There is a relationship between abuse (physical and sexual) and early pregnancy (Philliber, Brooks, Lehrer, Oakley, & Waggoner, 2003). Another difficulty encountered by teenage childbearing is they are more likely to have little or no prenatal care, their babies are born prematurely, and they have low birth weight babies (Caulfield & Thomson, 1997). Many teen mothers do not acknowledge they are pregnant until their second trimester (Erickson, 1998). After birth, the children are more likely to have poor health, to grow up without fathers, and to suffer from abuse and neglect (Caulfield & Thomson, 1997). Statistics Several important statistics surround adolescent childbearing. The United States government spends $25 to $50 billion a year on teenage childbearing (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2006). Twenty-five percent of teen mothers have another child within two years of giving birth to their first child (Williams & Sadler, 2001). One-third of American children are born to unmarried parents (Winter, 2005). Approximately 97 per 1,000 women aged 15-19 (one million American teenagers) become pregnant each year (Planned Parenthood, 2000). Teenagers aged 15-19 account for 73 percent of young women who become pregnant (Planned Parenthood, 2003). Less than one-third of teens who begin their families before the age of 18 graduate from high school, and only 1.5 percent earn a college degree before the age of 30 (March of Dimes, 2006). Seventy-five percent of pregnant teens had mothers who had teen pregnancies (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2006). Six out of seven teen births are to teen mothers near or below poverty income levels (Roth & Hendrickson, 1998). One in three girls in the United States gets pregnant at least once before they turn 20 (Kane, 2006). Data Analysis The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not free day care services for teen mothers increased their high school graduation rates. These free day care services were either on-site at the teen’s high school, at neighborhood day care centers funded by the grant money of the teen parenting education program, or were at neighborhood day care centers in which the Houston-Galveston area council oversaw subsidized state and federal child care funding. The independent variables were free day care services, age when first child was delivered, grade level when first child was delivered, ethnicity, and family status. Family status indicated with whom the teen mother lived with when she delivered her first child. The population for the investigation consisted of teen mothers who attended high school in three suburban public school districts in the fourth largest city in the United States. Those teen mothers who gave live birth, kept their child, and had only one child were considered for this research study. If a teen mother had two or more children or gave her child up for adoption, she was not considered. Teen mothers had to be between 13 and 19 years of age. The available population consisted of 337 teen mothers during the 20052006 and 2006-2007 school years, and from that available population, the sample of the population consisted of 167 teen mothers. There were 48 from one school district, 50 from another, and 69 from the third. Four teen mothers or 2.4 percent were 14 years of age when they gave birth to their first child. Seventeen or 10.2 percent were 15 years of age when they gave birth to their first child. Forty-five or 26.9 percent were 16 years of age when they gave birth to their first child. Fifty-nine or 35.3 percent were 17 years of age, 31 or 18.6 percent were 18 years of age, and 11 or 6.6 percent were 19 years of age. No teen mother in this study was 13 years of age when she delivered her first child. There were a total of 167 teen mothers aged 14-19 years of age (See Table 1). Table 1 Frequency Distribution of Participants According to Age (N=167) Age Frequency Percent 14 15 16 17 18 19 Total 4 17 45 59 31 11 167 2.4 10.2 26.9 35.3 18.6 6.6 100.0 There were four teen mothers or 2.4 percent who were in eighth grade when they delivered their first child. Twenty-four or 14.4 percent were in ninth grade when they delivered their first child. Forty-one or 24.6 percent were in tenth, 53 or 31.7 percent in eleventh, and 45 or 26.9 percent in twelfth. There were a total of 167 teen mothers in grades 8-12 when they delivered their first child (See Table 2). Table 2 Frequency Distribution of Participants According to Grade Level (N=167) Grade Frequency Percent 8 9 10 11 12 Total 4 24 41 53 45 167 2.4 14.4 24.6 31.7 26.9 100.0 Family status indicated with whom the teen mother lived with at the time she delivered her first child. Fifty-seven or 34.1 percent of the teen mothers lived with their mothers. Sixty-five or 38.9 percent lived with their mother and father, and 11 or 6.6 lived with their mother and step-father. Thirty-four or 20.4 percent lived with other. The other category included the teen mother’s father, grandparent(s), boyfriend and his family, boyfriend, brother and sister-in-law, father and step-mother, aunt, husband, and mother, father, and her boyfriend, which totaled 167 teen mothers (See Table 3). Table 3 Frequency Distribution of Participants According to Family Status (N=167) Family Status Frequency Percent Mother Mother & Father Mother & Step Father Other Total 57 65 11 34 167 34.1 38.9 6.6 20.4 100.0 The ethnic make-up of the teen mothers consisted of Black, Hispanic, White, and Asian. No other ethnic groups were represented. There were 53 or 31.7 percent Black teen mothers, 92 or 55.1 percent Hispanic, 12 or 7.2 percent White, and ten or six percent Asians, which totaled 167 teen mothers (See Table 4). Table 4 Frequency Distribution of Participants According to Ethnicity (N=167) _________________________________________________________________________ Ethnicity Frequency Percent Black Hispanic White Asian Total 53 92 12 10 167 31.7 55.1 7.2 6.0 100.0 Fifty-four or 32.3 percent teen mothers did not have free day care services. One hundred and thirteen or 67.7 percent of the teen mothers did have free day care services, which totaled 167 teen mothers (See Table 5). Table 5 Frequency Distribution of Participants According to Free Day Care Services (N=167) Free Day Care Services Frequency Percent No Yes Total 54 113 167 32.3 67.7 100.0 Forty-nine or 29.3 percent of the teen mothers did not graduate from high school. One hundred and eighteen or 70.7 percent of the teen mothers did graduate from high school, which totaled 167 teen mothers (See Table 6). Table 6 Frequency Distribution of Participants According to Graduation (N=167) Graduation Rate Frequency Percent No Yes Total 49 118 167 29.3 70.7 100.0 The design that was used in this investigation was causal-comparative or ex post facto. In the files of each director of the parenting education program were the names of the teen mothers, age and grade level when delivered her first child, ethnicity, family status, was she a graduate or a drop-out, and was she receiving free day care services or was she not receiving free day care services. Permission was granted to the researcher from each suburban school district. If the teen mother’s child was born 31 days or less before her next birthday, her age was calculated as the age she was to be on her next birthday. The sampling procedure consisted of simple random sampling. The teen mothers with a child who attended a free day care service and those whose child did not attend a free day care service were randomly selected from the available population. If the teen mother gave birth to her baby the last six weeks before she graduated, she did not participate in the study. Each teen mother who participated in the study was assigned a number of 1-167 because the total number of participants was 167. A two-sample Chi Square test for the five hypotheses was used because the variables were nominal. Results Five null hypotheses were formulated and tested in this study, and all five hypotheses were tested for statistically significant differences between the variables. There was a statistically significant difference as related to free day care services, family status, and grade level when delivered first child. However, there was no statistically significant difference as related to ethnicity and age when delivered first child. Table 7 reported the overall results of teen mothers who graduated and did not graduate and whether they had free day care services or did not have free day care services using a two-sample Chi Square test. There were 24 teen mothers who did not graduate and did not have free day care services. Twenty-five did not graduate, but had free day care services, making it a total of 49 teen mothers out of 167 who did not graduate. Thirty teen mothers graduated but did not have free day care services. Eighty-eight graduated and had free day care services, making it a total of 118 teen mothers out of 167 that graduated. Fifty-four out of 167 teen mothers did not have free day care services, and 113 out of 167 did have free day care services. There was a statistically significant difference found between graduation rates and free day care services (X2=8.781, df=1, P<.05). Thus, Hypothesis 1 was rejected. Table 7 Chi Square Summary Table Regarding the Graduation Rates of Teen Mothers and Free Day Care Services (N=167) Day Care Graduated No Yes Total No Yes Total X2=8.781, df=1, P=.003** ** Significant at the .01 level 24 30 54 25 88 113 49 118 167 Presented in Table 8 are the overall results for teen mothers who graduated or did not graduate and the influence of ethnicity using a two-sample Chi Square test. Seventeen Black teen mothers did not graduate; 29 Hispanics did not graduate; two Whites did not graduate; and one Asian did not graduate, which was a total of 49 out of 167 teen mothers that did not graduate. Thirty-six Black teen mothers did graduate; 63 Hispanics graduated; ten Whites did graduate; and nine Asians did graduate, which was a total of 118 out of 167 teen mothers that did graduate. Fifty-three Black teen mothers participated in the study, 92 Hispanics, 12 Whites, and 10 Asians. There was no statistically significant difference between high school graduation rates and ethnicity (X 2=.3.136, df=3, P>.05). Thus, Hypothesis 2 was accepted. Table 8 Chi Square Summary Table Regarding the Graduation Rates of Teen Mothers and Ethnicity (N=167) Graduated Black Ethnicity Hispanic White Asian Total No Yes Total X2=3.136, df=3, P=.371 17 36 53 29 63 92 2 10 12 1 9 10 49 118 167 Table 9 indicated the overall results of teen mothers who graduated or did not graduate and the teen mother’s family status at the time she delivered her first child using a two sample Chi Square test. Twenty-six teen mothers who did not graduate lived with their mother; ten who did not graduate lived with their mother and father; one who did not graduate lived with her mother and step-father; and 12 who did not graduate lived with other, which was a total of 49 who did not graduate. Thirty-one did graduate and lived with their mother; 55 did graduate and lived with their mother and father; 10 did graduate and lived with their mother and step-father; and 22 did graduate and lived with other, which was a total of 118 who did graduate. Fifty-seven teen mothers lived with their mother; 65 lived with their mother and father; 11 lived with their mother and step-father; and 34 lived with other. There was a statistically significant difference between high school graduation rates and family status (X2=.001, df=3, P<.01). Therefore, Hypothesis 3 was rejected. Table 9 Chi Square Summary Table Regarding the Graduation Rates of Teen Mothers and Family Status (N=167) Family Graduated Mother Mother & Father Mother & Step-Father Other Total No Yes Total 26 31 57 10 55 65 1 10 11 12 22 34 49 118 167 X2=16.144, df=3, P=.001** ** Significant at the .01 level Table 10 reported the results of whether teen mothers graduated or did not graduate and the age they were when delivered their first child using a two-sample Chi Square test. No teen mothers in this study were 13 years of age when they delivered their first child. There were no teen mothers that were 14 years of age and did not graduate; six were 15 years and did not graduate; 17 were 16 years and did not graduate; 16 were 17 years and did not graduate; seven were 18 years and did not graduate; and three were 19 years and did not graduate, which was a total of 49 teen mothers that did not graduate. Four teen mothers were 14 years of age and did graduate; 11 were 15 years and did graduate; 28 were 16 years and did graduate; 43 were 17 years and did graduate; 24 were 18 years and did graduate; and eight were 19 years and did graduate, which was a total of 118 teen mothers that did graduate. There were a total of four teen mothers 14 years of age; 17 teen mothers 15 years of age; 45 teen mothers 16 years of age; 59 teen mothers 17 years of age; 31 teen mothers 18 years of age; and 11 teen mothers 19 years of age. There was no statistically significant difference between graduation rates and age when the teen delivered her first child (X2=4.343, df=5, P>.05). Therefore, Hypothesis 4 was accepted. Table 10 Chi Square Summary Table Regarding the Graduation Rates of Teen Mothers and Age (N=167) Age Graduated 14 15 16 17 18 19 Total No Yes Total 0 4 4 6 11 17 17 28 45 16 43 59 7 24 31 3 8 11 49 118 167 X2=4.343, df=5, P=.501 Presented in Table 11 are the results of graduation rates of teen mothers and the grade they were in when they delivered their first child using a two-sample Chi Square test. There were three teen mothers in eighth grade and did not graduate; 14 were in ninth and did not graduate; 15 were in tenth and did not graduate; 14 were eleventh and did not graduate; and three were in twelfth and did not graduate, which was a total of 49 that did not graduate. One teen mother was in eighth grade and graduated; 10 were in ninth and graduated; 26 were in tenth and graduated; 39 were in eleventh and graduated; and 42 were in twelfth and graduated, which was a total of 118 teen mothers that graduated. Four teen mothers were in eighth grade when they delivered their first child; 24 were in ninth grade; 41 were in tenth grade; 53 were in eleventh grade; and 45 were in twelfth. There was a statistically significant difference between high school graduation rates and the grade the teen mother was in when she delivered her first child (X 2=26.169, df=4, P<.05). Hence, Hypothesis 5 was rejected. Table 11 Chi Square Summary Table Regarding the Graduation Rates of Teen Mothers and Grade Level (N=167) Grade Graduated 8 9 10 11 12 Total No Yes Total 3 1 4 14 10 24 15 26 41 14 39 53 3 42 45 49 118 167 X2=26.169, df=4, P=.000** ** Significant at the .01 level Discussion It is not surprising that this study showed a statistically significant difference between graduation rates of teen mothers and free day care services. The review of related literature supported this finding. Several school districts throughout the United States have incorporated free day care services for teen mothers, which have enabled them to graduate from high school. These school districts with on-site day care services showed increase in teen mothers’ attendance, improved grades, were taught important life skills, and showed lowered drop-out rates. While the teen mother attended school, her child attended a free day care service staffed with professional personnel. There was a statistically significant difference between high school graduation rates and family status. Fifty-seven of the teen mothers lived with their mother at the time their first baby was born; 65 lived with their mother and father; 11 lived with mother and stepfather; and 34 lived with other. The review of related literature supported this finding. Larson (2004) affirmed that low-income teen mothers were raising their children in singleparent homes. Cosby and Poussaint (2007) reported that in the 1950s five out of six Black children were born into a two-parent home, and today, two out of six are born into a twoparent home. High school graduation rates and the grade the teen mother was in when she delivered her first child showed a statistically significant difference. In a study conducted by the public health nurse case managers in southern California, 56 percent of teen mothers who had their first child before their 18 th birthday were still in school (Hermann, VanCleve, & Levisen, 1998). In this study, only three teen mothers who were seniors did not gradate, and 42 teen mothers who were seniors graduated. Ethnicity and age when the mother delivered her first child were not factors in high school gradation rates. Lerman (1997) asserted that poverty has a greater influence on teen pregnancy than race or ethnicity. The review of related literature did not indicate that age influenced graduation rates. Evidence has shown that the very youngest teens, less than 15 years of age, usually become pregnant as the result of coercion and were sexually abused by someone they knew (Roth & Hendrickson, 1998). Conclusion Teen pregnancy has been referred to as the ills of society, this nation’s most urgent problem, a national scandal, deviant, root cause of poverty in America’s time, and failure of American society. The majority of teen mothers did not intentionally become pregnant, but once they did, an overwhelming majority kept their babies instead of giving them up for adoption or having an abortion. Lerman (1997) declared that over one-half of teen mothers had been raped by someone they knew, and the younger the teen mother at the time she became pregnant, the older the father of her baby. The lower the income of the teen, the greater the possibility she will become a teen mother. Low-income and poor teens are not given the same advantages in life as the middle- to upper-class. They attend schools that have less than adequate building facilities, not enough books for each student, and incompetent teachers. Before long, they are not achieving on grade level, lose interest in school, begin skipping school, and eventually, become high school dropouts if they even make it to high school. To many low-income and poor teens, motherhood is the one thing they can succeed, and having a child is not seen as an additional hardship and not seen as preventing them from furthering their education. They know that they are ill equipped for college and do not see themselves as ever being able to attend college. Poor and low-income teen mothers feel as if they are achieving something. Having a baby to them is not just another baby to another teen mother, but a part of life’s journey. Free day care services in many public school districts throughout the United States have enabled teen mothers to graduate while assisting them with parenting skills and prope health and nutrition for their child. Implications for Counselors Those in the field of counseling have a responsibility to this vulnerable population in assisting them. Counselors must divest themselves of harmful stereotypes concerning this population by playing a direct role in helping them through career, educational, and personal counseling. The counselors’ doors must stay open for teen mothers to feel that they have someone to speak with because teen pregnancy and teen parenting is not going to go away. Counselors should not operate in a vacuum and should not view motherhood as her only role, but as one of the many facets of her identity. Teen mothers are a special at risk population who need encouragement as well as guidance. The counselor should be an advocate for teen mothers. Counselors are in a position to become advocates for them by gathering data on the resources that are available, such as Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Cities have free clinics that the teen mother can go to as soon as she acknowledges that she is pregnant in order to receive prenatal care because it is not uncommon for teen mothers to have low birth weight infants. Each school counselor should have a list of these free clinics in his/her office so the teen can receive medical attention for her baby’s health as well as her own. Resources available for teen mothers can be gathered from other mental health professions, such as the school nurse, the crisis counselor, and the social worker. Once these resources are made available, counselors can develop ways of distributing this data to all the counselors in the district no matter the grade level. When counselors work with teen mothers, it is important for them to understand the teen mother’s neighborhood, family, and culture of her family or else the counselor will contribute to her alienation and dependence. If the counselor establishes a respectful relationship, he/she will validate the teen mothers’ struggles, strengths, and aspirations. A counselor who tries to conform the poor or low-income teen mother to middle-class childbearing styles is contributing to her maternal anxiety. When a counselor is working with a teen mother to conform her to prevailing norms when these are not suited to her own experiences, these norms become a source of oppression and makes mothering far more difficult for her rather than less difficult. If teen mothers have dropped out of high school, the counselor must work diligently to encourage them to reenroll in school. If the counselor is aware of the resources available to the teen mother, such as on-site day care or applying through government agencies that subsidize state and federal child care funding, one can become a positive influence for that teen mother. Schools have social workers that make house visits, and the counselor can ask the social worker to make a house visit to the teen mother who has dropped out of school. Once the teen mother comes back to school, the counselor can meet with her on a regular basis to assess her needs as well as becoming her confidant. Payne, DeVol, and Smith (2001) asserted that those that have risen above poverty and hopelessness had a mentor. Teen mothers are no different in that they too need mentors to help them achieve in school, to help them parent, and to help them emotionally and physically. In the high schools, counselors, administrators, and teachers are mentors to athletes and help them fill out forms for college entrance exams, assist them filling out college applications, tutor them in their classes, and become advocates for them in classroom situations. Counselors, classroom teachers, and administrators can also become mentors to teen mothers. Many of these teen mothers are the first person in their family to graduate from high school, and these mentors can assist with the various options available after high school. Group counseling is another recommendation for teen mothers. In many high schools, the teen mother is required to take a parenting class, especially if she has her child at the on-site day care. The teen parenting groups can be conducted by counselors during the teen mothers’ parenting class. If the group is conducted during this class, the teen mothers are not pulled out of an academic class. Teen mothers usually miss more school than teens that do not have a child because when the teen’s child is sick the teen mother is the one who stays home with her child. Her class work suffers, and the further behind she gets the more stress she encounters in her life. These groups need to be teen centered rather than program centered, personal rather than generic, and thought provoking rather than guilt provoking. It is a time when every teen mother and her child are recognized as an individual, and cultural heritage and traditions can be incorporated in these groups. Cities have local pregnancy centers, and counselors can volunteer their time counseling this special population. Most of the review of literature centered around the teen mother. However, emphasis should also be placed on the teen father. It is more difficult to gain access to the fathers of these babies because only 23 percent are teen fathers (Erickson, 1998). “Among teen mothers aged 15 to 17, more than half are 20 years of age or older; 25 percent of them are three to five years; and 19 percent are more than six years older than the teen mother” (Erickson, 1998, p. 12). If the fathers of the babies are enrolled in high school, they can also enroll in a parenting class, but it is not healthy for them to be in the same class as the mother of their baby. It makes for an unpleasant classroom situation if they are not speaking with one another or if they have broken up. With them being in two different classes, they are able to speak openly about matters of concern without feeling threatened. In conclusion, counselors have the capacity of motivating teen mothers to complete high school, and in many cases, they can be the anchor in teen mothers’ lives. When teen mothers are motivated to complete high school, return to school as soon as they are released by their doctor, and become involved in school activities, they are less likely to have a second child. Counselors must be skillful when working with them and knowing how and when to advise a teen, when to listen attentively, and when not to give advice. The goal is to assist them with their educational and career choices during this stressful and sometimes, depressing period of their lives. Implications for Further Research Studies addressing free day care services whether they are on-site or funded through state and federal agencies that subsidize child care centers and how they relate to graduation rates of teen mothers should be conducted and compared. Since this research study found a statistically significant difference between graduation rates of teen mothers and free day care services, other school districts that have free day care services would benefit by conducting their own research study to see if free day care services enabled their teen mothers to graduate. The findings also indicated that family status (who the teen mother lived with at the time she delivered her first child) and the grade she was in when she delivered her first child had an effect on high school graduation rates. These results draw attention to the benefits of day care services within the school setting and those area councils of the state and federal government that subsidize child care funding. Also, these results contribute to the vast amount of literature concerning the beneficial outcomes for teen mothers and their children when support services are available. When school districts provide these day care services, teen mothers are able to complete high school. While they are attending classes, their children are supervised by competent day care professionals. Schools providing on-site day care services are able to justify their continued funding when results are positive. Future studies can be conducted to see if there was a difference in the teen mother’s grade point average (GPA) before and after giving birth to her child. SmithBattle (2003) studied teen mothers over a period of 12 years and discovered that many of the teen mothers became more responsible by improving their academics after giving birth to their child. Williams and Sadler (2001) avowed that one-fourth of teen mothers had another child within two years of giving birth to her first child. A future study could be conducted to see if this statistic is accurate in their school district. Another study could be conducted to see if graduation rates of teen mothers were higher if the day care service was on-site or if it was at neighborhood day care centers funded through the local agency that has been designated as the financial aid entity. Teen mothers experience stress and depression when they acknowledge they are pregnant, and it continues throughout their pregnancy and after the birth of their baby. Inventories can be administered to measure the level of their stress and depression. Lerman (1997) acknowledged that the younger the teen mother, the older the father of her baby. Many fathers abandon the mothers, and the mothers are left to administer all the financial and emotional needs of her baby. 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