Teen Parent Lobby Day
Teen Parent Lobby Day, 2010
Teen Parent Lobby Day 2010 will be on March 18. Please join us at the State House in the Great Hall and Grand Staircase, 9:30 am-12:30 pm. This year's theme is The Key Is Me: Support Opportunity. Believe in Teen Parents. Expect Success. The event will feature opportunities for teens to share their stories with legislators through advocacy and a multi-media art exhibit. Please RSVP and submit art exhibits by February 24. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Kasi Petr at policyintern2@massteenpregnancy.org.
The annual Teen Parent Lobby Day is a central piece of the Alliance’s work. It brings teen parents, their children, and their supporters to the Massachusetts State House to advocate for young parent programs. The event is also an important opportunity for teen parents to become involved in the policy process and to share their stories.
Teen Parent Lobby Day, 2009
On March 19th, over 450 young families came to the State House for our annual Teen Parent Lobby Day to request that legislators support teen parent services. The strong presence of teen parents and their children sent a clear message to legislators: you can’t ignore us, we are investing in our futures and so should you.
Young families were joined by hundreds of service providers and dozens of legislative staff. The Alliance held the event in the Great Hall and Grand Staircase, so more people than ever were able to attend. Lobby Day featured art exhibits inspired by this year’s theme: “Building Bridges to Brighter Futures: Young Families and Educational Opportunity.”
Teen parent speakers shared their stories of trials and triumphs, including their successes with education and beyond. Rhonda Luke, a young mother from Brighton, expressed the vital role that a teen parent program played in her life: “Crittenton Women’s Union has given me a second chance at educating myself through their GED program [and allowed] me to prove to the world once again that I am a resourceful and successful young adult.”