Short takes: Educated moms, healthy kids 

Adolescence is scary, as anyone who’s survived it can attest. The challenge can be overwhelming when it’s complicated by pregnancy. For 35 years now, girls from the Sequoia Union High School District who have faced that condition have found academic instruction and practical assistance through the School Age Mothers’ Program, a standout among the 12 dozen similar programs now operating statewide.

Pregnant and parenting young women in grades 9-12 in Sequoia’s 7,300-student district could remain in their normal classes, but approximately 100 girls each year opt for SAMP’s combination of self-paced, individualized instruction and counseling along with health services and a child development center for infants and toddlers, according to Coordinator Jane Duncan. The program is housed on the campus of Redwood High School, a continuation high school in Redwood City.

Each student signs a contract agreeing to abide by SAMP’s regimen, which stipulates regular attendance.

“Attendance is a big part of our funding, and it’s very important for the girls to be here to learn things,” Duncan says. “They realize that school is important, and they’ve got their child coming, and they need to make changes in their lives. And they do it. It’s just incredible.”

Duncan and fellow teacher Louise Thornton teach core subjects such as social studies and English, along with nutrition, health, child development and parenting skills as well as living skills. Classes in math and biology are available in the Redwood school across the parking lot, and guest speakers from the community impart a real-world perspective.

Participants can remain in the program throughout their pregnancy and for three to four months after giving birth. They can then either return to their former school in the district to complete their high school coursework, attend Redwood’s continuation classes or pursue a diploma through a GED program or community college.

But often, the girls’ ambitions extend beyond those horizons. Several of them recently journeyed from the San Mateo County campus across San Francisco Bay to the University of California, Berkeley, where they met with former SAMP students now attending the flagship of the University of California system.

“I think it gave them more interest in pursuing higher education,” Duncan said. “If they want to, they can do it.”

Statewide, the California School Age Families Education program has served more than 30,000 high school students – 5 percent were male – and 20,000 children since operations began in 2000. More than 75 percent of Cal-SAFE students earned their high school diplomas, and “a significant majority of the children born to Cal-SAFE students were born healthy,” according to the program’s Web site.