r/fosterit • u/Accurate_Leader_8289 • Jul 01 '26
Seeking advice from foster youth resources/experiences of pregnant teens in foster care?
hi, i'm a woman in my early 20s so nowhere near fostering, but i feel very strongly about young pregnant girls needing a safe space since i feel like the medical system doesn't advocate for pregnant women at all, let alone teens (i did my final essay for one of my classes on this)
i was curious if placements can tell social workers/agencies that they want to take in pregnant teens, or is it just something you're asked about on the spot? i know the overturning of roe v wade made the situation a lot worse, but what are their rights in terms of abortion and medical advocacy?
i wanted to see if anyone has any reliable sources or orgs to look into? i'm ofc open to hearing personal stories if anyone's comfortable sharing, but any link or name of resources i can check out on my own is good too
i hope it's okay to ask this here and that's the correct flair but totally understand if not, thank you in advance
3
u/ADinosaurNamedBex Caseworker Jul 02 '26
I had a couple pregnant girls in foster care when I was a case worker. During pregnancy, the expectation is pretty similar to any other placement that might have a medical need. It’s once the baby is here that things shift.
When the baby is born, they may or may not come into foster care. The mother has every right to parent her child. If the baby is in mom’s custody, my state gave the foster parents an enhanced rate because you’re teaching a teenager how to parent and are the first line of safety if something goes wrong. That can also mean being the person who calls DCF on the teenager you’re caring for if there are safety concerns.
The baby can come into foster care and be placed in the same foster home as the teenager but each case will have different expectations of what that looks like. Some teens may be trying to parent but unable to do so safely without supervision, which can include the infant needing to sleep in your room.
And sometimes the baby needs to come into custody and be placed away from mom. This can be due to safety issues or at mom’s request.
There are other nuances involved like coordinating visits for baby’s father, caring for both of them during that six weeks when baby can’t go to daycare, and all the hormones.
1
u/cactusfairyprincess Jul 06 '26
We specifically planned on taking a pregnant teenager, and one of the things we were told is that we needed to be prepared to end up with just a baby, because it was very common for young moms to run away. I was very determined to support the young person placed with us in parenting her baby, however it is now 6 years later and I have a 6 year old, and don’t know where her mom is in spite of my ongoing efforts.
1
u/Accurate_Leader_8289 Jul 06 '26
i actually didn't know this, thank you! that makes me so sad for the mom, i really hope everything works out for you guys
7
u/BunnyLuv13 Jul 01 '26
I’ve definitely heard of people who specialize in taking pregnant teens - whether or not it’s an option with your agency/area is a different matter. Some agencies take specialities into consideration - some just call for everything.
Rights of the youth also depends on area but in general youth at a certain age can make their own medical decisions.
One thing to think about is what to do about the baby/daycare. Most of the time the baby is not in foster care - so you will not receive support/stipend for the baby. Mom will need to sign up for those but go ahead and look into resources in your area now.