Diversity-Competent Practice: Adoption of Teen Mothers

Women find giving birth to a child challenging at any age, but teen mothers and foster children in particular find it to be a challenging experience. According to research, the US has the highest rate of teen pregnancies among developed countries (Font et al., 2019). Additionally, statistics show that one in six girls in the nation give birth before turning 20. (Font et al., 2019). Numerous adverse effects, such as poor health, high poverty rates, low rates of educational achievement, and a high rate of youth delinquency, have been linked to teen mothers and their children in studies (Font et al., 2019). Additionally, studies have shown that these unfavorable outcomes are a result of the difficulties teenage mothers face in raising their kids (Zárate-Alva & Sala-Roca, 2019). Teenage mothers, for instance, are less likely to have received their high school diplomas and thus have a difficult time finding employment. The majority of people have to stay with their parents and families, and it's not always guaranteed that they'll get the financial and emotional support they want.

Teenage girls with children who reside in foster homes typically experience worse outcomes because they have less access to financial and emotional support than those who reside with their families. Even though this group of teenage mothers makes up a sizably large and underprivileged portion of society, it is frequently understudied. More than 160,000 teenage girls are in foster care nationwide, mostly as a result of abuse and neglect in their homes, according to Font et al. (2019). In comparison to teenage girls living with their families, foster care residents are twice as likely to become pregnant before turning 19 years old. Additionally, they are probably going to have another child before they turn 19 years old (Font et al., 2019). As a result, the likelihood of having multiple pregnancies at a young age increases after the first pregnancy before the age of 19. It consequently causes additional monetary and social issues for the girls and their offspring.

Numerous child welfare organizations in the US conduct programs to cater to the special needs of teenage girls with children in foster care. However, there hasn't been much effort put into working with young people to prevent early pregnancies. Additionally, the services now in place fall short of adequately meeting the needs of teen moms and their kids in terms of financial, social, and emotional support (Zárate-Alva & Sala-Roca, 2019). Since the foster care system is intended to support young children temporarily or until they are old enough to work rather than when they become parents, it is unable to adequately meet these demands (Font et al., 2019). There are numerous social services that support new mothers and help youth postpone conception. However, because to things like high rates of social workers and caseworker turnover, dynamism in living situations and supervision, and ineffective agency coordination, the care given is frequently erratic and fragmented. It is important to remember that young moms in foster care are a disadvantaged group that requires specific attention in both social welfare research and delivery.

Social Work Practices Developed for Teenage Mothers in Foster Care

Reviewing their circumstances and relationships with their environment is necessary to comprehend why teens become pregnant at such a young age even if they have little to no capacity for parenthood. According to Bandura, children learn by a combination of observation, modeling, mediating, and imitation. This is the foundation of the social learning theory. Young individuals watch how others behave and base their own conduct on what they see and experience. A young person's interactions with family, the media, and their surroundings all contribute to their sense of self-worth. Once kids reach maturity, social learning theory aids in modifying undesirable behavior and averting major issues (Font et al., 2019). Social and caseworkers who support young moms in foster care might explain how they think it is best to take into account their clients' experiences as well as how their friends and community affect them. This theory explains how caseworkers and other foster care professionals offer crucial elements when interacting with pregnant teenagers or people who are already parents.

Social workers might talk about their successful or unsuccessful attempts to change the attitudes, beliefs, and values that may have an impact on the behavior of the youth using an approach based on the social learning theory. Based on the social learning theory, the socioeconomic effects of teenage pregnancy and other variables that may have an impact on their sexual behavior can be addressed (Shpiegel et al., 2017). The social learning theory is a potentially useful concept that can help healthcare professionals comprehend the effects of teen pregnancies and find other useful techniques for assisting them. Additionally, the social workers may have an opportunity to elaborate on the views and perspectives of adolescent moms in foster care thanks to the social learning theory (Font et al., 2019). In accordance with this approach, social workers will observe the adolescent mothers and imitate, mimic, and reinforce the traits and practices prevalent in the neighborhood. When social workers are observing the impacts, thoughts, and actions of the adolescent mothers, they can also apply the behavior modification concepts of the social learning theory.

Social workers should first take into account the idea of behavior change proposed by the social learning theory before turning to Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) as a useful method and technique for offering the required support to young mothers. Evidence-based practice is defined as a method of practice where the practitioner combines well-researched solutions with ethics, expertise, culture, and client preferences to provide the greatest results (Shpiegel et al., 2017). The strength perspective is one of the most useful evidence-based strategies for giving social assistance to underprivileged groups, such teen parents (Shpiegel et al., 2017). Given that strengths manifest themselves when faced with difficulty, the strength viewpoint places emphasis on the client's strengths. Teenage mothers acquire a new identity despite being stigmatized, particularly that of a loving, caring mother. They have strengths because they are driven to be good mothers, exhibit high levels of ambition and responsibility, and have high expectations for their lives to be successful (Zárate-Alva & Sala-Roca, 2019). Social workers should therefore employ the strengths perspective model to alter teenage mothers' perceptions and inspire them to pursue their life goals.

The teen mother's value of her education should be acknowledged as part of the strengths-based approach. Teenage girls are likely to express a renewed commitment to education and understand its significance for the future of their children after becoming pregnant or mothers (Shpiegel et al., 2017). Teenage girls who had dropped out of school previous to becoming pregnant or giving birth are likely to return in search of academic success as a result of this reinvigorated commitment. Other research has demonstrated that adolescents who return to school with a newfound commitment are more likely to put in effort, earn high grades, and enjoy economic stability in the future (Shpiegel et al., 2017). The majority of these females successfully navigate the difficulties of becoming mothers young, which enables them to realize their potential. Therefore, as proposed by the social learning theory, the social workers providing care to teenage moms in social care should concentrate on these qualities and assist them in renewing their commitments through behavior modification and modeling.

Self-reflection

The study of teen moms in foster care has taught us crucial things about the value of emphasizing underprivileged groups. First, considering the high rates of birth and pregnancy among young females in the US before the age of 19, the research helped the student recognize that the group is quite substantial. It was shocking to learn that women in foster care are more likely to have multiple pregnancies than women who live with their families. Additionally, it was emphasized that regardless of social, economic, cultural, racial, or other backgrounds, the issue of teen pregnancies in foster care impacts all communities (Font et al., 2019). Furthermore, the study showed that this group suffers from severe disadvantage because the nation's foster care system is not set up to care for newly parenting children.

In fact, the foster care system in the nation is set up to give kids temporary housing and care while they wait to find long-term solutions at home or abroad. Teenage girls who become pregnant and give birth while still in foster care suffer as a result because they have less access to the social, financial, and emotional support they require (Shpiegel et al., 2017). They may also experience rejection and stigma, which could have an adverse effect on their social, emotional, and mental well-being.

I discovered that in order to enhance care for young moms in foster care, social workers need to implement the best practices based on data and recognized theoretical frameworks. In this regard, Bandura's social learning theory has been found to be a crucial strategy (Shpiegel et al., 2017). This strategy enables caregivers to concentrate on altering the attitudes and behaviors of the teenage mothers. Similar to this, the strengths perspective enables social workers to concentrate on the positive traits of the young moms, particularly through reinforcing their dedication to achieving academic success and financial security.

I assumed that teen moms in foster care were doing fine before starting this study. Teenage moms in foster care and those who lived with their families were not, in fact, separated from one another. The group was not regarded as a disadvantaged segment of society either. After conducting the investigation, however, the student understood that the group is underprivileged and requires social, emotional, and monetary support. This viewpoint will consequently alter the student's perception of specific social groupings within the community. For instance, it has altered the student's opinions on the community's social diversity, which are not always revealed in literature. Teenage parents are one category that need special consideration because they must also sustain their offspring. Given that their moms are similarly underprivileged, their children should also be treated as a special group because they are unlikely to experience a typical upbringing while living in foster homes.