Education Leading to Employment and Career Training (ELECT) Expectant and Parenting Teen Program

In 1990, a unique partnership was established between the Pennsylvania Departments of Public Welfare and Education which resulted in the creation of the ELECT Initiative. This initiative was designed to expand the services of existing teen parent programs and provide comprehensive support services to students who meet the income eligibility requirements. The programs are voluntary and the duration of program enrollment extends to graduation or age 22

The following is a brief chronology of the ELECT initiative´s growth:

• 1990 ­ 1999 only expectant or custodial teen parents who are enrolled in school and receiving TANF benefits were eligible for ELECT

• 1999 ­ 2000 : the ELECT Program expanded the eligibility requirements to include:

  • Expectant and custodial/non­custodial teen parents receiving Food Stamp (FS) benefits.

  • Expectant and teen parents enrolled in an approved General Equivalency Diploma (GED) program.

  • Expectant, custodial/non­custodial young fathers who are enrolled in school or an approved GED program whose personal gross earned income does no exceed 235% of the Federal Poverty Income Guideline (FPIG) which must be verified.

• 2001 ­ 2002 : The ELECT Program expanded further to include the Family Works Initiative (FW) which permitted enrollment of:

  • Expectant and custodial/non­custodial parenting teens, enrolled in school or GED program with a personal income less than 235% of the FPIG which must be verified

ELECT Fatherhood Initiative (EFI)

2001-02, the Family Works Initiative (FW) began which permitted:

• Custodial/non-custodial pregnant and parenting teens, enrolled in school or GED program

• Personal income less than 235% Federal Poverty Income Level.

In addition to the core services required of the PPT programs, ELECT requires:

• intensive case management

• attendance monitoring

• summer programming

• community collaboration

• student record keeping

• data collection

• transitional services

All of these programs are voluntary for participants and the duration of program. The required program outcomes include:

• Dropout rate may not exceed 25 percent;

• Graduation rate for seniors and GED success rate must be at least 75 percent for those students eligible to graduate;

• Retention of at least 75 percent of enrolled students in their educational program;

• Maintained or, when necessary, improved annual attendance rate;

• GPAs and/or earned credits should demonstrate individual academic achievement that reflects overall progress year-to-year.

The PPT/ELECT programs are respected resources within their geographic area and are considered a great asset to the students, schools and communities they serve. With limited funding, they provide an array of educational and supportive services that help meet the above mentioned outcomes. The services are provided primarily by school staff, however, some schools contract with a community-based organization for service delivery. The required core services are provided through support/educational groups, individual meetings, or curriculum-driven courses. Some programs provide academic credit for program participation. Twenty LEAs have on-site child care