Admission Criteria

• Single, pregnant and/or parenting teens up to and including 18 years old with a baby less than one year of age, are considered for admission regardless of race or religion. Priority is given to those teens with first pregnancies.

• Where family reunification is the stated discharge plan, family therapy is required as part of the placement agreement.

• A resident's willingness and ability to participate in all components of the program is required. A contract clarifying these program expectations must be agreed to by the resident and her legal guardian at the time of admission. Eligibility for special education services is desirable in order to design the optimum educational plan for each adolescent resident.

• Capacity to participate in a group living situation with pregnant residents and with infants is determined by the SAFC Social Services Director based on referral material presented by the referring agency and by the preplacement interview. Applicants with serious clinical diagnosis who need more intensive clinical therapy than SAFC is designed to provide and active substance abusers are not appropriate referrals for this maternity home setting with its parenting focus.