2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

I think it's great that you have these parents on the show but i have to say, after working with teen parents for four years, Jamie's situation with supportive parents who can afford to buy her a car, and who can finish shcool is the anomaly and not the rule. Dana's situation is much more realistic. I think it would be more important to really delve into the problems and challenges of being a teen parent, who more often than not, have experienced sexual abuse (statistics support this), and have been or will be in poverty.

The other thing that i want to add is that i think it is a shame that Insights Teen Parent Program was not brought into this conversation. This Portland Agency has been around for the better part of 30 years (i can't remember exactly how long) and they could have hooked you up with a wealth of teens to talk about what it's like to be teen parents, as well as discuss the resources that have been, and currently are, available to teen parents. They are the only agency in the area (i think maybe even in the state) that deals specifically with this population. It is a real shame you did not do some research on who else could add to this conversation.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
view in context