Family Life Education Expert Offers Tips for Addressing Unwed Parenthood

Media Advisory: Dr. Lorraine Blackman, associate professor at Indiana University School of Social Work, located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus, is available for interviews on the issue of children being born to unwed parents. For additional comments and interviews, contact Dr. Blackman by phone at (317) 274-6713 or E-mail: lblackma@iupui.edu.

INDIANAPOLIS - Nearly eight in 10 black children in Indiana are born to unwed mothers, according to a recent Indiana Black Expo report.

The untold story is that white children born to unwed moms face challenges similar to those of black children of unwed moms, says Dr. Lorraine Blackman. Recent statistics show there are 1.4 million whites living in poverty in Indiana with 208,000 white mothers in homes without a husband.

Blackman, who holds a doctorate in social work, specializes in family life education and in shaping social policies to help families function better. Blackman and her students at IUPUI have created a series of prevention and coping tips for parents, adolescents (10 years and up), single parents, and community leaders to address the issue:

For parents:

Talk openly with your children to teach your family values, about human sexuality, and family planning. Your public library and the Indiana Youth Institute have books and videos to help you.

Take parenting classes! Everyone needs them; children don't come with instructions.

Avoid living with an unmarried partner or allowing partners to "sleep over." Your children learn to imitate your behavior and they are at greater risk of being sexually molested.

Request yearly sexuality education and parenting classes for your children at school, beginning at 5th grade.

Take healthy marriage/relationship classes to give your children the benefits of a healthy two-parent family.

Contact the Indiana Healthy Marriage & Family Coalition (IHMFC) for a list of classes across Indiana: IHMFC, 3737 N. Meridian Suite 206, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208, Phone: (317) 927-9558, www.ihmfc.org

For adolescents/young adults (ages 10 and older):

Learn about and use family planning services. Contact your county health department, school social worker or private physician for resources.

Focus on developing a plan for the kind of life you really want to live and decide where sex and babies fit into that plan.

Get a good education so you can get a good job or start your own business. Don't forget to apply for financial aid to help with college expenses.

If you decide to have sex, be safe! Both partners should protect themselves from unplanned or unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Avoid sex with random partners. Wait for a good, loving relationship.

Be honest with yourself. Are you at risk of having a child when you're not ready to take good care of it?

For single parents:

Know you are not alone! Don't belittle yourself or allow depression to control your life.

You still can become a successful person and accomplish your life's dreams.

Ask family members, friends, religious community members or neighbors for help with child care and errands.

Get a good education so you can get a good job or start your own business. Don't forget to apply for financial aid to help with college expenses.

Plan to prevent more pregnancies or births until you are ready for them.

Avoid having children by multiple partners.

Pay your child support and remain involved in your child's life. This is especially important for fathers. Fatherhood does matter.

Take healthy marriage/relationship classes to learn how to select a mate and how create and maintain a healthy two-parent family! Contact the Indiana Healthy Marriage & Family Coalition for a list of classes across Indiana: IHMFC, 3737 N. Meridian Suite 206, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208, Phone: (317) 927-9558,www.ihmfc.org

For community leaders:

Change state laws and social welfare policies that provide disincentives to marriage.

Change state laws to require birth control and STI product manufacturers to provide clear, concise instructions on how to use their products.

Require yearly comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality education and parenting classes for children at school, beginning at 5th grade. Guidelines are available at http://www.siecus.org/pubs/guidelines/guidelines.pdf

Require parents incarcerated for non-payment of child support to work while incarcerated and to send their earnings to support their children.