Teen Parent Story Project:

Vanessa, LD and Melanie. Teen Parent Services High School Graduation Ceremony. May 26, 2016

One of the amazing things about Portland Public Schools is the Early Head Start Program. There are a few high schools in Portland that offer this particular program that supports these young families. When the mom is ready to come back to school, she brings her baby to the Early Head Start at her school, or the nearest one to her high school. This allows mom and dad to attend high school knowing that baby is being well taken care of. Mom can also pop into the day care and nurse her baby. I wish all schools offered this program, these moms and dads have a safe, free place for baby and with this support have great success in graduating from high school.

About the Teen Parent Story Project:

I have been photographing teen families. Some of the parents are teens now, some parents were teens when their child or children were born, but are now in their 20's, 30's, 40's, etc. Celebrating these families has been a gorgeous, inspiring journey. It has been a joy getting to know all of these families, each with very different and stunning stories. When I became a mother, I learned that mothers are the strongest people on this planet. Teen mothers and fathers are some of the toughest people I have ever met. All of the people I have met along this journey have shown me dignity, power, strength, beauty, perseverance and success. I continue to meet new, fascinating families and I will continue to photograph them, to talk to them, to gather their stories so that one day soon we will have a grand party, a Gallery Gala, and we will all come together to celebrate these bad ass families.

If you would like to know more about this project, please contact me. If you are or were a teen parent and would like to volunteer for this project, please let me know. I am still looking for volunteers.

Thank you families!!!