Teen Mothers’ Experiences in the New Beginnings Parent Education Program

Persephone Starks

This study was conducted to gain the personal accounts of teen mothers’experiences as students attending the New Beginnings Parent Education Program. Using a phenomenological perspective, the researcher sought to gain a deeper insight of their lived experience including knowledge of parent education, the existence of significant relationships, and goal setting for themselves, their family, education and career prior to becoming pregnant, and again after they found out they were pregnant or delivered their child. Using participant interviews, observations and field notes it was determined that the parent education program and instructors had a significant impact on participants within this study. The participants recognized that the goals they have set for themselves in various aspects of their life and their child’s life can be realized through course work, interaction with their infants and relationships with family and friends. The participants’ learned to create healthy relationships, and to embrace their role as the most important person in their child’s life.


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