Teen pregnancy is highly linked to poverty and lower educational outcomes. Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by age 22, compared with 90% of women without a teen birth. This is a vulnerable population who often have nowhere to turn. Early and effective intervention can give mothers the tools to continue their education and become self-sufficient, giving them a path to self-sufficiency changes lives for generations to come.
Hope House is helping teenage single moms in Denver learn life skills, develop positive relationships – and break the cycle of generational poverty. It began when the founder, Lisa Steven, realized there was no place for teenage single mothers experiencing abuse in the Denver area. A former teen mom herself, she realized that young women in the same situation were often experiencing trauma and violence, and needed a safe place where they could raise their kids while getting the skills to be self-sufficient long term. Hope House provides classes so that residents can find better-paying jobs to support their families long term. Equally importantly, they foster a community with long term healthy relationships and a safe place for children and mothers to flourish.