Through the years, Educating Communities for Parenting established a history and reputation of teaching students, parents, and grandparents about child development, nurturing, and caring behaviors. In 2002, ECP was able to take a giant leap forward in its efforts by expanding its work to a new population. It became clear that at-risk adjudicated delinquent pregnant and parenting youth in Philadelphia could greatly benefit from ECP workshops and learning about the serious business of parenting.

ECP’s Power to Parent program developed specialized parenting classes for adjudicated delinquent youth who were transitioning out of residential placement. Through partnerships with the School District of Philadelphia, the Department of Human Services, and Family Court, ECP was able to offer workshops at Reti-Wrap (Re-entry Transition Initiative-Welcome Return Assessment Program) in order to reach this new population. Using its core curriculum to develop specialized lessons, ECP teaches parenting and non-parenting youth about the advantages of discipline rather than punishment, what constitutes abuse and neglect, and the extreme importance of developing healthy relationships and communication skills. ECP’s goal is to empower youth to make good decisions and develop responsible and compassionate behaviors. Lessons are structured to help youth begin a process of self-awareness and understanding, and ECP aims to help these adjudicated delinquent youth reintegrate into their communities and reduce the likelihood they will return to the system.

Through this work, ECP discovered that at least 10% of youth attending Reti-Wrap were either parents, expecting to become parents or expressed mixed emotions or an unwillingness to admit they were parents. Valuing the parent/child relationship, ECP began offering its services to youth referred by the courts. By attending classes, parenting youth learn new and healthier ways of parenting and developing relationships with their children while also receiving support and guidance. ECP classes have reduced factors associated with neglect, anti-social behavior, and abusive parenting practices, all of which can lead to cross generational violent behaviors. With support from Juvenile Probation and Family Court, adjudicated and non-adjudicated youth at Reti-Wrap now attend one hour group sessions four days a week, in which they discuss parenting skills, positive behaviors, and problem solving skills.

ECP’s programs for adjudicated youth have continued to grow as there has been a greater emphasis placed on supporting at-risk pregnant and parenting youth involved in the juvenile justice system. With the support of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, ECP also offers weekly classes at the county’s Youth Study Center, which is a youth detention facility, and at the Columbia North YMCA, which is a site open to all Philadelphia teen parents, including those involved in the Family Court system. This coordinated approach has allowed ECP to teach valuable and essential lessons about parenting to a vulnerable population of young fathers and mothers who are often difficult to reach.

ECP is so grateful to have a dynamic team of facilitators who are able to work with this unique population. They are committed to helping young parents deal with juggling multiple responsibilities at such young age. By creating a nurturing environment in the workshops, youth are guided and encouraged by ECP facilitators to engage in group discussions. They are given permission to safely explore their feelings about how they were parented, and how they wish to parent their own children. They also learn to be aware that their behavior and the choices they make with school, family and friends will all have an impact on the future of their children.

Wil Coney

Betty Handy and Wil Coney work together as facilitators at the Columbia North YMCA, ECP’s open site that provides parenting classes for many young parents involved in the juvenile justice system. These facilitators each recognize the extraordinary potential of working with and educating young parents. As Wil puts it, “the parents have an opportunity to correct [the problems] they may have encountered as they were raised or what they may have witnessed in how others were raised. In a sense, the slate is wiped clean for them to put their child in the best possible position to succeed.” Betty has been so impressed with the love and caring she has seen in the teen parents she has worked with. She explains, “There is an expectation that teen parents cannot be good parents. However, many teen parents are capable of having loving, meaningful, and healthy relationships with their children, while providing a solid upbringing with the resources they have been given.” Wil and Betty each feel this is rewarding work to be involved in because they can help young parents to see that “the possible is still possible.” Betty always is reminded of how wonderful this work can be when she hears parents speak about their children with such love, pride, and positive language. She summed up the work of ECP beautifully saying, “I believe in the values of ECP. Educating and encouraging generations to raise their children with compassion and love …is something that all parents need to know, no matter what age they are.”

Betty Handy

Edna Morris, Director of Adjudicated Youth Programs, has seen a steady increase in the number of students returning for a second and in some cases a third time to the Reti-Wrap program. Edna believes that, “To thrive and succeed in life our students need to be resilient. While our students have many natural abilities and strengths, they can always develop greater resilience. This is difficult for them to do on their own. We need to prepare them to cope with challenges and recover from setbacks. They need caring adults to support and guide them along the way to adulthood.” It is extremely important that parenting youth are empowered to adopt new ways of thinking, solving problems, and demonstrating compassion in their lives, their families, and their communities.

Edna Morris