Teenagers are still maturing, both physically and emotionally. Giving birth interrupts this growth and leads to lifelong consequences for the teenaged mother, her child, and for society. One in five teen births is to a teen who already has a baby.

Because of their physical immaturity, teenagers are more likely than older women to experience premature and/or prolonged labor, anemia, poor nutrition, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and even death. Challenges facing pregnant and parenting adolescents include lack of education, fewer job opportunities, poverty, isolation, and an unstable family life lacking in social support systems.

Pregnancy can be one of the most difficult experiences a teenage girl ever faces. Understand how to support your daughter as she deals with teenage

Finding out you're pregnant when you're a teenager can be very daunting, particularly if the pregnancy wasn't planned.
If you decide to continue with the pregnancy, there are a wide range of services to support you during pregnancy and after you've had your baby. Your midwife or health visitor can give you details of local servic`


Being a good mother is one of the toughest jobs in the world, and it's almost impossible when you are young, homeless, and without family. That is why our Mother/Child program was created to help these determined mothers and pregnant teenagers secure a brighter, more stable future for themselves and their babies.

Covenant House counselors motivate each mother to work hard toward achieving independence. Our counselors are available to help them create a plan for their future by lending an ear and offering advice or sometimes by being a stern voice, if circumstance calls for it.

Residents in the Mother/Child program attend workshops in parenting skills, child-bearing, and single parenthood, and we work to make sure the girls understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle – both for themselves and their children.

Covenant House's Mother/Child program also offers free on-site day care so that our mothers can complete their education or hold down a job. And our girls depend on one another as well, setting up schedules for shared baby-sitting. Living with other young mothers helps them bond, learn from each other, and gain a sense of family they probably have never experienced before.