No Kidding: Straight Talk from Teen Parents

No Kidding: Straight Talk from Teen Parents is a program designed to educate youths on the responsibilities and realities of young parenthood. Well-trained, compelling peer educators tell students what they wish they had been told before they had children-–from stinky diapers to losing friends to serious legal and financial responsibilities. The presentations can be made in schools or to other groups. Sessions are fun, interactive and conducted by peer educators who are themselves teen parents.

No Kidding is geared towards both non-parenting and parenting groups of middle and high school age youth. We recommend groups of 5 – 40. The curriculum is designed to be three 50-minute sessions delivered in sequence over three days. We will work with your schedule – returning on concurrent days or presenting the entire series in a 1½- to 2-hour block. We can schedule presentations around your needs. Peer educators are available during the school day, evenings, and weekends.

No Kidding Curriculum    
Sessions are designed to be interactive, compelling and full of little-known, surprising information about the legal, financial and emotional realities of parenting. Here is a glimpse into what is covered in each of the three sessions:

Telling Our Stories. Young fathers and mothers ‘talk straight’ about their lives, telling stories about their journey and imparting information they wish they’d known before having their child. Understanding Paternity. Through personal stories, interactive activities and role-plays led by the peer educators, students will analyze the legal consequences of becoming an unmarried parent, learn about the importance of having both parents in a child’s life, and examine their own attitudes towards commitment and marriage. Child Support and Money Matters. Students investigate the expense of child rearing and single parenting, analyze the financial obligation of supporting a child and explore the process of paying and receiving child support.

We Bring The Program to You
To schedule a free No Kidding Program for your school or group, contact us at 713-730-2335 or info@depelchin.org.

Note: No Kidding peer educators are trained in public speaking and paternity and child support law. However, they are not sex educators and do not address topics related to sex education.

No Kidding is a collaborative project between DePelchin Children’s Center and the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division.