The “we” Rochelle refers to is her team of life coaches. She directs our Teen Parent Connection (TPC) program and collaborates with her team to provide critical aid to teen mothers and fathers who have entered out-of-home care or are at risk of it.

With a major in psychology, she entered the field of social work more than a decade ago, initially working as a family consultant in our Developmental Disabilities program. Over the course of her career, she progressed from a life skills specialist to a supervisor, ultimately assuming the role of director five years ago.

It posed a huge undertaking given that TPC was still relatively young. Rochelle leaned on the expertise acquired from previous roles for guidance. Consulting families that cared for individuals with disabilities deepened her understanding of diverse motor and cognitive functions. Specializing in life skills honed her ability to teach and advocate for education that would benefit underserved students. Supervisorship offered a window into the behind-the-scenes of overseeing a department.

Still, many things felt new and intense. Like motherhood.

Rochelle had just become a mother herself when she began to lead TPC. Our teen parents were pleasantly surprised once they learned she had a young baby, just like them. She recalls, “I would tell them, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing either. I have to learn, too.'” It turned out to be a moment leading to special connections that helpfully lowered their emotional defenses. 

Another effective approach she discovered was meeting teen parents where they are. From sexual exploitation to substance abuse exposure, they typically have experienced so much trauma she understands their displays of anger, restraint, or when they demonstrate less than ideal parenting methods. What more can one expect? Their childhoods lacked good role models, yet Rochelle does not let their pasts define them. She has witnessed too many success stories: she’s seen financial and educational assistance enable a teen to earn her certification in phlebotomy, allowing her to take care of her family’s living expenses. A different teen had spent years in the program gaining necessary parenting skills. Her baby’s father volunteered to learn alongside her. They are now married and had a planned second child together.   

Rochelle believes these successes are evidence that access to support services truly breaks the cycle of abuse and promotes safe, healthy families.

Instead of “seeing something broken” when meeting a new teen, she sees a young girl with massive potential to find healing. “All of our life coaches are like this,” she says. “We understand healing is a process. It takes time.” One path to restoration is having the ability to just be yourself. Many of the teens in her program missed out on the traditional summer camp experience. Each year, Rochelle and her staff run the Mommy and Me Camp, giving them a chance to revel in the carefree joys of adolescence.

But as mentioned in the beginning, most teen parents naturally form strong attachments with their kids. “It’s actually easier for them to act like mothers than teenagers,” Rochelle muses.

Teenagers of color living in lower income areas or out-of-home care have a pregnancy rate more than twice that of those who are non-Hispanic white and not in foster care. As a result, Rochelle works mostly with Black girls. She stays cognizant of the systemic barriers that come with holding these combined identities. Even though they prioritize motherhood, it is still true that they are just that: teenagers. 

Building connections is essential in encouraging their openness to positive change. Rochelle cautions if you try to talk or treat them like grown adults, the door to transformation abruptly shuts. By practicing vulnerability, staying kind, and becoming a lifelong learner of empathy, she has had the honor of forging countless bonds; her heart is attached to every single girl she’s worked with. She remains in touch with some who are no longer in the program.

Teen parents are the most resilient people Rochelle knows. Even with their troubled pasts and present-day obstacles, they strive toward promising futures, hand in hand with their babies.