For some teenage girls in the Albany area who have found themselves in difficult circumstances, the Network of Trust program based at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital has been there to offer an assist in making sure they can stay on their feet.

Founded 20 years ago as a way to help address the issue of teen pregnancy in the region and the health and educational barriers it presents, one of the focuses of Network of Trust, or NOT, is its teen parenting program. Implemented in three phases, it starts in the prenatal care phases and ends with parenting and employability guidance until the parents graduate from high school.

“It was created for multiple reasons,” said Hope Harrelson, one of the nurse educators involved with NOT. “Parenthood is the main reason girls drop out. We encourage them not just to stay in school, but to continue on with their secondary education. They are more prone to (pregnancy) complications, so we catch them early and get them in consistent prenatal care.

“Those stats (on teen pregnancy) … it just doesn’t affect the individual, it affects the community. If it helps the individual, it helps the community be successful.”

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