What contributes to resilience for teen mothers and their children?  To answer that question, researchers from Vancouver Island University have been talking with some of Nanaimo’s young mothers.  It’s well known that young mothers frequently face many challenges — the interruption of their schooling, difficulties with housing, ineffective transportation and limited finances for living and daycare. In this study, the researchers’ goal was to explore the experiences of adolescent mothers from their own perspective — what worked for them, what didn’t?

The study, Adolescent Mothers II: An Investigation of the Experiences of Adolescent Mothers in Nanaimo BC, is an overview of the lives and experiences of adolescent mothers with the community and its perinatal services. Among the vital supports in the community, the young parent program Little Ferns Early Learning Center was noted as being pivotal for the adolescent mothers in achieving their educational goals.

For the 14 mothers that participated in the study, becoming a mother was a transforming experience: it gave a sense of purpose to their lives, motivated them to do well in school, and reduced their participation in high-risk activities such as  excessive substance use. Read More…

(source: www.bccf.ca)