Young mothers @ the margin are pregnant and parenting young women ages 14-24 who are in foster care, involved with juvenile justice or are homeless. Many are victims of child abuse or grew up in homes marked by persistent domestic violence. This is not surprising since “one in three girls in the United States are sexually abused” (Bolen, R.M. and M. Scannapieco, 1999). Traumatic experiences, not of their making, have left them searching for safety, belonging, love and support. And sometimes, creating a family seems like the only way to get it.

In 2006, there were over 350,000 unmarried teen mothers ages 14 to 18 in the United States. This is more than the total number of teens (boys and girls) in foster care and far more than the 90,587 teens that are currently incarcerated (Rosch, Brinson, Hassel 2008). Yet, they remain out of sight and largely invisible and funding for services and programs that support young mothers and their children continue to disappear. 

Sign on to challenge Congress to take action to recognize and support the efforts of young mothers @ the margin to break the destructive intergenerational cycles passed on to them by their families.