Family Planning

After the baby is born, the teen has the rights of being a parent to her child, but she is not emancipated from her parents. This means that while the teen mother has full parental rights for her child, the teen's parents are still responsible for the financial support, housing, food, clothing, education, and health of the teen parent.

Becoming a teen parent requires lots of support. Raising a child can be very expensive. Many state programs can help with the support of the child:

•  Medical services from Medicaid
•  Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
•  Section 8 Housing
•  Food vouchers and nutrition information through Women Infants and Children (WIC)
•  Financial assistance from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
•  Food Stamps

The minor parent who is raising the child may get child support from her baby's other parent. This includes male teens that decide to raise their child. Parents can apply for child support through the State Attorney General's Office. A request for child support can also start the process of finding out the identity of the father if that information is unknown by having a court order to run a paternity test.

For more information on agencies that can assist you with your decision to raise a child, visit the "Resources" page.

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