Making the transition to adult responsibilities can be difficult for any young person. For young parents, these difficulties may be compounded by raising children or trying to keep families together. The resources below provide information and tools to facilitate young people's education and career planning as well as financial literacy. For education and employment links specific to New York State, visit Supporting Young Parents in New York State.
Education
Chirp
This online resource for young parents includes a step-by-step guide to going to school with a baby, as well as health and self-sufficiency resources. Chirp's chatbot offers friendly, empowering advice about being a young parent.
Parent Information and Support
Pregnant and Parenting Students' Rights Toolkit
This comprehensive toolkit from the National Women's Law Center provides a detailed overview of the important aspects of Title IX for pregnant and parenting students at federally funded educational institutions. It includes a summary of rights, FAQs on breastfeeding rights, a step-by-step guide to filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, tips for when and how to take action, and a list of government resources and assistance for low-income parents.
Pregnant and Parenting Students: Often Left Behind
This article describes legal protections for pregnant and parenting students as well as measures that schools and policymakers can take to ensure support for these students. This resource is part of the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education publication Title IX at 40: Working to Ensure Gender Equity in Education.
ArticleEducation: State-by-State Information
This table from YouthBuild lists the high school equivalency exams used in each state as of January 2014, and links to related resources.
About the GED Test
This website provides information about what the GED test is and how to obtain it, as well as study materials, test previews, and the official practice test.
LYFE Schools
LYFE is a NYC Department of Education program that provides free early childhood education to children of student parents. LYFE makes it possible for student parents to stay on track toward graduating from high school or completing their high school equivalency while parenting. In addition, LYFE supports student parents' transition into parenthood by providing high-quality early childhood education, supportive counseling, academic guidance, and advocacy services.
Young Adult Borough Centers
Young Adult Borough Centers (YABCs) are afternoon and evening programs designed to meet the educational needs of high school students who are behind in credit or have adult responsibilities that make it hard to attend school during the day. Students attend YABCs part-time in the afternoon or evening to earn a high school diploma.
Employment and Financial Literacy
Youth & Labor
This page offers information on laws and regulations pertaining to minors, including rules on wages, hours worked, safety requirements, and the types of employment minors can legally engage in.
Youth Rules! Preparing the 21st Century Workforce
On this site for young people, the U.S. Department of Labor provides information on teens' rights and safety at work.
Preparing Youth for Career Success
This ACT for Youth page links to community partners, curricula, and resources to help young people explore and work toward careers.
Financial Empowerment Centers
Financial Empowerment Centers offer professional, one-on-one financial counseling as a free public service to enable residents to address their financial challenges and needs and plan for their futures.
Helping Youth Achieve Financial Literacy
On this page, ACT for Youth links to additional financial literacy program activities and curricula, as well as resources for young people.