Minor Parent Program is a major success
For 37 years, Apollo High has helped young parents make it to graduation
By Cynthia Overweg cindy@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers YOUNG DAD- Luis Aguayo, 18, holds his children, Luis, 16 months, and Angel, 4 months. Aguayo is a participant in Apollo High's Minor Parent Program, which aims to teach its students the basics of good parenting and help them get a diploma.

Hanging on a wall just outside the school's nursery, where teenage parents play with their infants and toddlers, is a slogan that epitomizes the mission of Apollo High School's Minor Parent Program.

"The first years last forever."

These words, said program leader Cristina Sullivan, convey to the young moms and dads who participate in the program the responsibility every parent has to give a child the best possible start in life.

The Minor Parent Program is designed to help teen parents graduate from high school and to give them the parenting skills they need to raise their children, Sullivan said.

"When pregnant teens come into the program, they're usually frightened or anxious. My job is to care for their needs, help them graduate and help them become confident parents," she said. "They chose this path, and the fact they took the initiative to ask for parenting help says a lot."

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers DUAL RESPONSIBILITIES- Ivonne Villafuerte, 19, holds her 15-month-old daughter Monique in the Apollo High School Parenting Program center.

Sullivan has been the heart and soul of Apollo's teen parent program for 17 years, according to Apollo High principal Tracy Rohlfing. Under her direction and with the help of her staff of infant care aides, Rohlfing said, Sullivan has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of teen parents and their families.

"Cris has built a close-knit community with our teen parents. She gives them the parenting tools and support they need to become responsible moms and dads," Rohlfing said. "It's an amazing and very positive program."

The Simi Valley Unified School District was one of the first school districts in California to launch the Minor Parent Program. It began 37 years ago under the leadership of now retired teacher and principal, Dr. Will Hopp. For the first 25 years, it was part of the Simi Valley Adult School and then later moved to Apollo.

Seventeen teen moms and five teen dads are enrolled in this semester's Minor Parent Program. Children of teen parents cannot be older than 18 months and an enrolled parent must be under 19. Teen parents attend regular high school classes while their infants are cared for in the nursery.

"We estimate that about 75 percent will graduate once they enter the program," Rohlfing said.

Teen moms and dads visit the nursery between classes to feed and play with their babies. They also attend an ongoing series of daily parenting classes.

"They learn about the importance of prenatal care and nutrition, all the baby basics, child safety issues, how to read to a child, how to choose the appropriate books as a child develops, why secondhand cigarette smoke is dangerous to children and even how to perform CPR," Sullivan said. "It's a comprehensive program."

The parents of teens in the program are invited in as well. Periodic workshops that address the demands of parenting are available for grandparents and other family members involved in a teen parent's life.

Rohlfing said that teens in the program come from all socioeconomic levels, from affluent families to those with very difficult financial circumstances. Some teen parents may live at home, others with extended family members or in foster homes or on their own.

"We make no judgments about anyone in the program. There is no stigma," Rohlfing said.

The goal, said Pat Ernest, an infant instructional aide for 12 years, is to create an environment of empowerment and hope.

"We're like a family," Ernest said. "It gives me enormous personal satisfaction to see young moms gain so much confidence."

Teens in the program simultaneously face the challenges of parenting and of graduating from high school. There are often financial pressures as well.

"It takes a lot of courage and commitment for them to do this," Sullivan said.

With an indoor and outdoor play area for the children, a nursery filled with cribs, a kitchen and eating area and a classroom, the building that houses the Minor Parent Program is self-sufficient.

"We learn about what a baby needs," said Ivonne Villafuerte, 19, a program participant. "Without the program, I wouldn't have known how to take care of my baby. I really appreciate being here and being able to graduate from high school."

Joanna Jimenez, 18, said she feels the same way.

"I learn the different ways in which my baby is growing," Jimenez said. "Before, I was always missing school and was a troublemaker, but I haven't missed a day since the quarter started. I've learned how to take responsibility."

The program's long-held success is a source of great pride for Sullivan, who began her career as a history teacher.

"I was always drawn to kids at risk, and it led me to the Minor Parent Program," she said.

Sullivan's enthusiasm is apparent in everything she does, according to Luis Aguayo, 18, one of the teen dads in the program.

"Cris has helped us a lot," Aguayo said. "I've learned how to change diapers, what to feed a baby, and how to take care of a child. I want to give my kids what I never had."

Shauna Nelson, 19, summed up the heartfelt sentiments of so many other teen moms.

"The program has prepared me to take care of my baby and to finish school. I'm very grateful," she said.

Sullivan refuses to take credit for what the program provides.

"This is truly a team effort," she said. "This is a shared success. The nursery is a teaching place, and I'm learning every day too."