Must be at least 200 words each with 1 reference each to back up your claim. Please separate the responses.

POST 1:

Week 4: Discussion: The Effects of Means-Tested Social Programs

Eboni is a 16 year old biracial African/Caucasian female in the 11^th grade. Eboni has found out that she is currently pregnant with her first child and is contemplating options. Ebonie’s mother, Darlene, is currently against the pregnancy and wants her to get an abortion. Eboni’s father, Anthony has different values and based on his religious beliefs feel that Eboni should keep the baby. Eboni is still contemplating her decision (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen 2014).

In the Logan family episode, Laureate Education (2013), we see Darlene, Ebonies mother, very frustrated as she verbalizes her struggle when she was a single teenage parent. Darlene states “Do you want to end up on Medicaid”? (Laureate Education, 2013). It is common for young teenage mothers to get on state public assistance to help them with medical insurance during their pregnancy and or after birth of the baby. It is estimated that that approximately 45 out of one thousand (1000) girls from ages 15-19 become pregnant in the state of Nevada and it costs the state 8 million dollars a year (NCSL 2013). Per the Nevada Counsel State Legislators, it costs the state 8 million$ for Public healthcare (Medicaid) and 11 Million$ for child welfare (NCSL 2013).

Per the Nevada Department of health and human services, if Eboni were to reside in the state of Nevada programs that are offered would be eligibility of Medicaid with parental consent, Admission to the WIC (Women, infant and children program), and possible education support if provided the proper case manager (NDHHS 2015). Teenage mothers have been the target of some welfare reform, many of which have helped teenage mothers gain coverage to welfare benefits. If Eboni would chooses to keep the baby the necessary supports identified include education, job skills training, and access to affordable child care. Per the journal of poverty written by Johnson (2001), the mother would be able to receive support, however, some states classes will be provided to teenage mothers on safe sex and preventing unwanted pregnancy (Johnson 2001).

But with all services provided the outcomes and success rates for teenage mothers are low. With minimal education, single parenthood, insufficient social support. And immaturity Eboni may have difficult road. It is said that the majority of teenage parent relationships don’t last and the child is raised in a single parent households. With parents still in the adolescent phase of their life the child receives inadequate parental support and the child is more likely to grow up with developmental or behavioral needs (Lee 2013). Being a teenage mother is not easy, however; as a future social worker is our job to make adolescents aware of the risks of teenage pregnancy and provide support when needed.

References:

DHHS. (2015) Davison of Health and Human Services. Retrieved fromhttp://dhhs.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/dhhsnvgov/content/Reports/DWSS_2014_FactBook.pdf

Johnson, G. (2001). Teenaged Mothers on Welfare: Views on Reform and Necessary Supports. Journal Of Poverty, 5(2), 67.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Sessions: Logan family Episode 4 of 42)[Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Lee, Y. (2013). ADOLESCENT MOTHERHOOD AND CAPITAL: INTERACTION EFFECTS OF RACE/ETHNICITY ON HARSH PARENTING. Journal Of Community Psychology, 41(1), 102-116. doi:10.1002/jcop.21517

Nevada Conference of State Legislators (December 2013). Nevada: Teen Pregnancy Retrieved from:http://www.ncsl.org/documents/health/TPinNVJustthe…

Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader]. “The Logan Family”

POST 2:

Eboni Logan is a 16-year-old, bi-racial, 11^th grade student who is actively involved in her high school. Eboni is a good student and has plans to attend college. Eboni is currently 2 months pregnant with her first child and is in the process of deciding whether she will terminate her pregnancy or parent the child. Eboni’s support system includes her mother, Darlene, who believes Eboni should terminate the pregnancy, her grandmother, May, who has not expressed an opinion but who was visibly upset, her father, Anthony, who believes she should parent the child, her boyfriend, Darian, who implied that she should terminate the pregnancy, and her best friend, Brandy, who suggested that she meet with the school social worker (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014).

If Eboni was a resident of New York State, the means-tested programs, or public assistance that she would qualify for would depend on whether she was considered to be emancipated. In NYS, emancipation is not a court ruling but rather an implication that is determined by a service provider and emancipation would need to be determined to receive her own public assistance case (The Door’s Legal Service Center, n.d.). If Eboni parents the child, and is determined to be emancipated, she would be able to receive, if eligible, SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Section-8, a federally assisted housing program (New York State, n.d.). Eboni would be determined eligible for these programs if she was found to have no or low income guidelines, is a resident of New York State, is pregnant or responsible for a child under the age of 18, is a U.S. national citizen, legal alien, or permanent resident (New York State, n.d.).

Even with these programs available to Eboni, the long-term challenges would be overwhelming. Eboni would only be eligible to receive these benefits for 60 months, or 5 years (New York State, n.d.). If Eboni were unable to obtain the college degree that she had been planning on she would be forced to financially support herself and her child, in 5 years, on a probable income received by an entry level, minimum wage job, at the rate of $10.40 per hour (Department of Labor, 2017). Another state policy that might assist Eboni with managing the responsibilities of parenting would be the Food Stamp Employment and Training Venture Initiative that was created by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. This program targets individuals with substance abuse issues or criminal offenders but could also benefit other food stamp recipients and it would enter Eboni into a short term training program, usually about 4 weeks, that would guarantee her employment at the completion of the training with incentives given after 12-weeks of employment (Posiniewski, 2011).

Department of Labor. (2017). Minimum wage. Retrieved fromhttps://www.labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/aborstatndards/workport/minwag.shtm

New York State. (n.d.). Programs and services. Retrieved from https://www.otda.ny.gov/programs

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). The Logan Family. In Sessions: Case Histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

Posiniewski, L. (2011). A unique approach to meeting the employment and training needs of food stamp recipients. In Policy & Practice, 69(2), 14-15. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The Door’s Legal Service Center. (n.d.). Emancipated minor status: what are your rights? Retrieved from https://www.lawhelpny.org