Futures

The Futures program was designed in 1989 to address the educational, vocational, and parenting needs of pregnant and/or parenting youth in Missoula County. From its modest beginnings, the project has grown to be a model family support program for young parents.

Futures reaches out to all young parents, by working with youth who have already dropped out of school, as well as those still in school. The program focuses on mothers age 21 and younger, and fathers through age 24. Futures helps young parents develop a secure future and gain skills to become leaders in their own families and communities. Services for parents include advocacy and case management; home visits; support groups; training in parenting; education, career, and job readiness counseling; skill building workshops; family fun events; and leadership opportunities.

Our approach is based on a Positive Youth Development Model that reduces risk factors while helping to build protective factors for young parents enrolled in our program. Our prevention strategies are focused in the following areas:

• Improve educational and economic outcomes
• Promote healthy family lifestyles
• Teach positive parenting
• Decrease isolation and facilitate connection to community
• Support health and development of children prenatal through age five
• Prevent child abuse and neglect
• Prevent second pregnancies to teen parents ( nationally 25% of births to teen mothers are subsequent children)

Each year, Futures Family Advocates work with over one hundred parents and their babies. The program is designed to make it easy for teen parents to access services, and offers a range of services that can be individualized for each client’s needs.

Futures is a member of the Healthy Teen Network, a national coalition of agencies serving youth, and a founding member of MAPPPS, Missoula Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting, and Prevention Services

In 2006/2007 WORD's Futures Program:

• Provided advocacy and case management to 139 young parents: 103 mothers and 36 fathers. Ninety-one infants and toddlers in these families also participated in Futures program activities.
• Served 65 young parents with housing counseling so that they could secure safe housing and avoid homelessness.
• Involved 30 young parents in parent education programs.
• Provided monthly recreational activities to 48 young parents and their children.
• Distributed over 850 books to young parents and their children at fun events that promote early learning.
• Supported 90 young parents with education and career counseling.
• Provided training and leadership opportunities for 13 young parents.