We know that 200,000 teen girls give birth every year in the U.S., but what about the other half of the equation – the 200,000 fathers? Unfortunately, only about 33 percent of fathers under 18 stick around to help raise the child. When you consider that 70% of those teen moms don’t graduate – it’s not hard to imagine why.
For Father’s Day, we are spotlighting one teen dad who takes his role seriously and is actively parenting his child. Meet Ricky C., 19, who brings his 4-month-old son to school with him every day. He is on track to graduate later this year and grateful that Learn4Life has a dedicated classroom for parenting teens.
“They have a crib, so I can put him down for a nap if I need to,” he said. “And sometimes if he gets fussy, my teacher or other students will help me out. I’m learning how to do this.”
Right now, there are 16 parenting students at Ricky’s school in Oxnard, Calif., but he is the only father. “It’s all girls, except for me,” he said. “I don’t know how they do it alone…taking care of a baby is not easy. When my fiancé goes to work and it’s just me, I really see how important it is to have both parents involved.” And he’s right – children raised without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and twice as likely to drop out.
To read more of the Learn4Life article, please click here.
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