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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Elizabeth Abreu, 17, a daycare assistant at Cupertino High School, feeds eight-month-old Alina, the daughter of another student, during her class time in the center.
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Child's Play
FUHSD helps teen moms with new parenting program and childcare center
By George Moore
According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of all developed countries. Almost 1 million teens become pregnant each year--95 percent are unintended and almost one-third end in abortion. About 30 percent of teen mothers finish high school and almost one quarter have a second baby within two years.
The Fremont Union High School District offers the Teen Parenting Program and the Teens with Tots Childcare Center to help teen moms graduate while developing good parenting skills. The childcare center has been operating at Cupertino High School since 1994. It originally was in a small classroom and only had a 12-baby capacity, but in 1997 it moved into a more spacious area on campus that can care for up to 45 children.
Diane Burbank, assistant principal at Cupertino High School, said the childcare center is supported by state grants. Burbank said the ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 12 for a new playground at the Tot Center brings the facility one step closer to becoming a fully licensed day-care facility.
"We are hoping to be licensed in June," Burbank said. "Once that happens, we can open it up to teen moms and teachers with kids who are not on campus. It would also be available for use by the general public."
The facility operates from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., but once it is licensed, Burbank said they would look into extending its hours to provide after-care.
"I believe once we're licensed, it could be a good recruiting tool," Burbank said. "Teachers with newborns would feel more comfortable coming back to a full schedule if their infant is being cared for right here on campus."
Students who are pregnant are allowed six weeks of maternity leave and are encouraged to attend school right up to the time of giving birth, Burbank said.
"That way they can spend the full six weeks at home with the child," Burbank said.
Home teaching is offered during maternity leave. A teacher will visit the home and teach one to three classes at a time, which usually involves reading material and packet work. Burbank said not every teen mother is able to take advantage of this because an adult must be present to watch the child during this time.
When the new mothers return to school, they must provide formula or breast milk, cereal, bedding and diapers to the childcare center. There is no charge for the student mothers except for those provisions. Once the center becomes licensed, there still will not be a charge for the students, but the going market rate will apply for teachers and the general public.
Cupertino High School student Karla Hurtado, 19 (left) spends time with her daughter, Alina Gonzales, 8 months, during a break between classes at the school's daycare center, while fellow student Rachel Moncallo, 17 (center) looks on. Moncallo is due with her own baby in May.
There are currently only two caregivers at the Teens with Tots Childcare Center, but they get help from students who enroll in a five-credit daycare assistant course. Elizabeth Abreu signed up for the class and said she spends 45 minutes per day at the center--some days an hour and a half.
"It's fun," Abreu said. "It's my favorite class now."
Burbank said it helps teen moms to have the support of other teens who attend this class, as well as other child development classes.
Lilian Remigio has worked at the center for five years and is a certified nursing assistant and registered midwife. Remigio said she loves working with the children and formerly worked at a hospital nursery. She said the center is divided up into three separate areas--one for infants, one for crawlers and one for toddlers who can walk. The number of kids varies day to day she said because sometimes grandmothers or fathers take care of them for a day.
Burbank said they have formed a relationship with the Cupertino Senior Center, which delivers 10 to 12 bundles of hand crocheted blankets to the tot center at least once a year. She said many other community partners help support the program, including the Stella Gross Charitable Trust, the Valley Foundation, and the Cupertino Rotary Club, to name just a few.
Burbank said the Teen Parenting Program is an alternative method of education that combines comprehensive high school curriculum with core instruction in parenting skills, child development and language art classes. It is intended to help give pregnant teens or young parents the opportunity to complete their high school education. She said it provides moms with an education and parenting skills and hopefully lessens their chances of a repeat pregnancy while still a teenager.
Students have the option of enrollment in comprehensive high school classes, Phoenix alternative high school classes or New Start independent studies programs. Burbank said that since the program started, they have had 43 graduates.
Burbank said the tot center and parenting program welcome any new community partners to help support them in their effort to provide ongoing childcare services.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
