Teen Parents & Their Children

Supporting Young Parents. Strengthening Families. Changing Futures.

The FSU Young Parents Project provides intensive home visiting, parent-child support, trauma-informed care, and resource coordination for court-involved expectant and parenting youth across Florida.

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Make a Difference Today, Support the FSU Young Parents Project
Help empower young parents and give their children a stronger start. Visit our donation page to learn how your contribution can make a meaningful difference in the lives of young parents and their children.

Donation Instructions 

✔ Yale-Based "Minding the Baby" Model
✔ Trauma-Informed Home Visiting
✔ Serving Court-Involved Young Families
✔ Multi-Disciplinary Professional Team

 

Who Can Participate?

Expectant Youth

Pregnant teens preparing for parenthood.

Parenting Teens

Young parents ages 12–18 involved with juvenile justice services.

Young Adults

Parents ages 13–21 involved with child welfare services in Miami-Dade County.

Young Fathers

Dedicated support, fatherhood programming, and co-parenting resources.

 

How We Support Young Families

Health & Home Visiting

Health & Pregnancy Support
Weekly Home Visits

Parenting & Child Development

Parent-Child Relationship Coaching
Parenting Education

Emotional & Community Support

Mental Health Support
Community Resource Connections

Advocacy & Essential Needs

Court Advocacy
Essential Materials & Resources

 

Why Families Benefit

Two adults and a young child gather on the floor of a home while looking at a large map or activity sheet. The child crawls across the map as the adults kneel nearby and participate in the activity. A sofa, bed, and camera are visible in the background, highlighting family engagement, learning, and interactive play in a home environment.
Build healthy relationships with their children
Group of children playing together outdoors with their arms raised while standing in a circle. Trees and greenery surround the play area, and sunlight filters through the background. The image highlights active play, social interaction, and outdoor recreation in a natural setting.
Access community resources
Adult embraces a young child in a kitchen setting. The child rests in the adult’s arms while household cabinets, countertops, and kitchen items are visible in the background. The image highlights a close caregiver-child interaction in a home environment.
Strengthen parenting skills
Two individuals sit across from one another at a wooden table reviewing paperwork. One individual points to a document while the other holds a pen. Several forms on clipboards are spread across the table, and large windows in the background provide natural light. The image highlights professional consultation, document review, and collaborative planning.
Navigate court involvement with support
Young child embraces an adult, with the child’s arms wrapped around the adult’s shoulders. The child looks toward the camera while resting against the adult. Soft natural light and a neutral indoor background create a warm home setting, highlighting a close caregiver-child interaction.
Improve family stability and well-being
Adult and child sit together outdoors looking at a tablet device. The adult points toward the screen while the child holds the tablet. Trees and greenery are softly blurred in the background, highlighting shared learning, technology use, and caregiver-child engagement in an outdoor setting.
Create positive futures for parent and child

 

Our Evidence-Based Approach

1
Intake Assessment
 
2
Relationship Building
 
3
Weekly Home Visits
 
4
Parent-Child Support
 
5
Resource Coordination
 
6
Counseling
 
★
Long-Term Family Success

 

The Young Parents Project Clinical Model

The Young Parents Project is adapted from Yale University's evidence-based Minding the Baby® model, which focuses on strengthening the relationship between young parents and their children as a pathway to long-term positive change.

 Parent-Child Relationship

Helping young parents “hold their baby in mind” and build strong, healthy attachments.

Trauma-Informed Care

Services are grounded in trust, strengths-based support, and understanding the impact of trauma.

 Intensive Home Visiting

Regular home visits, telehealth support, and collaboration with families and community partners.

“The relationship between the teen parent and baby becomes the vehicle for change.”

Unlike traditional public health models, referrals often come through juvenile justice and child welfare systems. The program combines family support, mental health services, health promotion, and court collaboration with the goals of improving family stability, supporting permanency for children, and reducing future court involvement.

 

Making a Difference

“Young Parents Project participants recidivated at lower rates than a comparison group of expectant and parenting youth involved with DJJ.”

Research conducted by Florida State University found that youth participating in the Young Parents Project demonstrated lower rates of recidivism than a comparison group of expectant and parenting youth involved with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. While additional evaluation will continue over time, the findings suggest meaningful benefits for young families participating in the program.

Source: FSU College of Criminology & Criminal Justice Evaluation Study

 

Meet Our Team

Our multidisciplinary team includes nurses, mental health specialists, program leaders, researchers, and family support professionals dedicated to helping young parents and their children build healthy, stable futures.

Jill Little, BS, MS

Project Director

(305) 781-4170

Joseph Ward, BS

Program Manager & Fatherhood Coordinator

(561) 397-3594

Barbara White, MSW, M.Ed.

Research Faculty

bawhite@fsu.edu

Clinton Boyd, Jr., Ph.D.

Fatherhood Consultant

Supporting father engagement and co-parenting

Tallahassee Home Visiting Team

Providing nursing, mental health, and family support services to young parents and their children.

Hope Jones, RN, BSN, MPH
Nurse Educator / Site Coordinator
(850) 296-5814

Hollie Hadley, BS, MSW
Counselor / Infant Mental Health Specialist
(850) 296-5818

Miami Home Visiting Team

A multidisciplinary team delivering home visiting, nursing, and infant mental health services.

Precious Wilcox, BS, MPA
Site Coordinator
(786) 858-4121

Kimberly Marshall, RN, BSN, IBCLC
Nurse Educator
(305) 487-2670

Natalie Joseph, RN, MSN
Nurse Educator

Latasha James-Bodie, MSW, LCSW, IMH-E
Infant Mental Health Specialist
(305) 619-0633

Melinda Williams, MS, RMFT
Infant Mental Health Specialist
(305) 487-2670

(305) 586-7353

 

Help a Young Family Build a Stronger Future

The Young Parents Project provides intensive support, home visiting, and trauma-informed services to help young parents and their children thrive.

Contact Our Team

Have questions about eligibility, services, or program availability? We're here to help.

Contact Us