In our community, teen mothers are an under-served audience. They are not easily identified due to the socio-economic makeup of the community and negative association of teen pregnancy. Additionally, this audience has unique needs as they are still developing into adults and dealing with issues related to being a teenager while struggling with parental responsibilities. Transportation to the library was identified as an issue. Teen mothers were able to receive transportation via the school to access resources supporting life and literacy skills at the library while socializing with their peers. Youth staff created content to address their unique developmental needs.

The library provides a safe, comfortable space for teen mothers of District 214 to explore early literacy strategies presented in a manner appealing to teens, emphasizing that teen mothers are their child’s primary teacher. Incorporating facets of connected learning, library staff works with teens to develop programming in order to cover high-interest topics. Teens are given nutritious snacks and instructed on appropriate nutrition for themselves and their growing children. The library and District 214 position themselves as valuable resources for these students and the community. Library staff serves as positive adult role models helping guide teens into successful adulthood.

Students expressed their interest in returning monthly – they felt safe and comfortable at the library and were engaged with the content delivered each visit. They see the library and staff as resources for themselves and their growing children. They garnered strategies that supported life skills’ development such as staying healthy and improving their college and career readiness. They were empowered to support their child’s emergent literacy development through introduction to Every Child Ready to Read 2’s Five Early Literacy Practices, as well as being provided books for their home library and creating their own sensory and literacy materials.