This paper examines the Success in School initiative, a comprehensive case management program operated by the Department of Social Services that addresses the high dropout rates among teenage parents. The program combines subsidized childcare, psychological support, transportation assistance, and vocational training to help teenage mothers—particularly those from historically marginalized communities—complete high school. The paper documents the program's award-winning track record, including an 80 percent retention or graduation rate among enrolled participants compared to 33 percent among non-participants. It also explores the program's expansion to include prenatal support and early childhood development services, demonstrating how evidence-based intervention can reduce both individual hardship and long-term social costs.
The Department of Social Services in [University], North Carolina provides a wide range of social services to the public. Its central mission is "promoting safety, self-determination, and self-sufficiency for families, children, and adults through the delivery of services in a professional and caring manner." Services include connecting individuals in need to childcare resources, coordinating distribution of free food and clothing, and directing families to federal and outside resources for healthcare and other essential services.
Among the department's most significant recent initiatives is the Success in School program, designed specifically for teenage parents. The program aims to help teen parents maintain focus on their education while managing the challenges of parenthood. The program particularly emphasizes supporting teenage girls, as girls are statistically more likely to serve as primary caregivers among teen parents. This focus directly addresses a critical gap: teen parents have substantially higher dropout rates than their non-parent peers, a disparity that Success in School is specifically designed to reduce.
The scale of the teen pregnancy problem demands urgent intervention. Approximately 70 percent of all students who drop out of school do so due to teen pregnancy, with dropout rates among pregnant teens reaching 90 percent across the United States. This crisis is not evenly distributed: African American and Latina girls are significantly more likely to become pregnant at an early age. As a result, teen pregnancy exacerbates existing racial gaps in educational achievement and professional advancement.
The disparity is stark. In 2012, Hispanic adolescent females ages 15–19 had the highest birth rate at 46.3 births per 1,000 adolescent females, followed by Black adolescent females at 43.9 births per 1,000, compared to white adolescent females at 20.5 births per 1,000. Long-term outcomes are equally concerning: 9 percent of white adolescent females will give birth by age 20, compared to 18 percent of Black adolescent females and 20 percent of Hispanic adolescent females. Although the Success in School program does not explicitly target girls of any particular racial or ethnic background, its emphasis has clear potential to provide critical assistance to girls from historically marginalized communities.
Success in School employs an intensive case management model to encourage teenage mothers to remain enrolled in school. The program is managed by a Childcare Team consisting of a team leader, five social workers, and an accountant technician. According to its mission statement, "Success in Schools is focused on strengths and intense case management to encourage, support, educate, and motivate teen parents to continue their goal of achieving a high school diploma and to gain social and work skills needed to be successful in school, work and life." This multidisciplinary approach is essential, as teenage mothers often face deficits in both health and social domains.
The program takes a holistic approach, providing both psychological support and practical assistance. Subsidized childcare represents one of the most significant barriers the program addresses—childcare costs frequently conflict with school attendance, forcing teens to choose between caring for their children and completing their education. By reducing this financial burden, Success in School removes a major obstacle to graduation. The combination of social workers, financial support, and coordinated services ensures that participants receive comprehensive aid tailored to their individual circumstances.
The Success in School initiative has demonstrated measurable, award-winning impact. The program received the Crystal Star Award in 2011 for Excellence in Dropout Recovery, Intervention and Prevention. At the time of the award, 133 teen parents had been served by the program, and 55 had successfully graduated from high school since the program's implementation in August 2008. These numbers represent more than program statistics—they reflect individual young people who overcame significant obstacles to achieve educational milestones.
The program's success rests on evidence-based practices grounded in current research on school retention. Its "best practices" philosophy deliberately targets known barriers to student success. For example, the program directly addresses the practical conflict between childcare responsibilities and school attendance through financial assistance that enables teens to maintain both commitments. The data demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach: through local research prior to the program's implementation, approximately 33 percent of teenage custodial parents receiving childcare subsidies remained in school or graduated. Following the launch of Success in School, 80 percent of teen parents enrolled in the initiative have remained in school or graduated. This substantial improvement—from 33 to 80 percent—provides compelling evidence that focused, comprehensive intervention works.
The program is continually expanding and adapting to better serve teen parents. In April 2015, a new position of Program Coordinator for the Partners for a Healthy Baby was created to work within Success in School, focusing on helping the children of pregnant teens meet developmental milestones. This expansion reflects recognition that intervention must begin before birth and continue through early childhood.
Prenatal and early childhood risks are significant. Children born to teenage mothers are less likely to receive adequate nutrition, healthcare, and cognitive and social stimulation, placing them at risk for lower academic achievement. Moreover, girls born to teenage mothers are more likely to become pregnant themselves, and children born to teen mothers face elevated risks of incarceration in adulthood—creating intergenerational cycles of disadvantage. Early intervention aims to disrupt these patterns.
"New prenatal and early childhood development services"
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