When Young Moms Thrive Program Update

By Viviana Arenas, AFG Advocacy FellowAlliance for Girls (AFG) has partnered with the Young Women’s Freedom Center (YWFC) to initiate the When Young Moms Thrive, We All Do program. Our mission is to effect systems change in policy and culture in Santa Clara County for young moms. As a collective network, we engaged 100 young moms between ages 12-26 who reside in East San Jose and South Santa Clara County. These young moms participated in the first of three focus groups that were held at the end of last year. Through this, YWFC has distributed $20,000 to these young moms for the knowledge and experience they’ve shared!With initial research from the focus group, YWFC is well on its way in the research process to create a summary outlining actionable changes for Santa Clara County, which may include reducing barriers to accessible childcare, as well as responding to the diverse needs of young moms. YWFC is also creating a resource guide for young moms which emerged as a need. This guide will offer government-based and community resources. The guide includes contributions from the knowledge that young moms have shared with us.   AFG and YWFC are also designing and implementing cultural strategy as a way to connect the community with young moms the way that young moms see themselves, as equals. In the coming months, we will connect with other community outlets to create content and share what we have learned throughout the series. Together, we will present our findings and recommendations to Santa Clara County officials.Stay connected and learn the latest updates by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin. And don’t forget—When Young Moms Thrive, We All Do!Interested in bringing this program to your organization or community? Please email Chantal Hildebrand at chantal@alliance4girls.org to talk about customizing it to meet your needs.