I. Summary of Important Facts
Students who become pregnant and/or have children while they are enrolled in school have the right to remain in their home school.
- Pregnant and/or parenting students can approach the guidance team at their school for assistance in obtaining the support and referral services they need to remain in school while transitioning to parenthood.
- Pregnant and/or parenting students who are experiencing difficulty in their home school and/or who might want to pursue a transfer to a different school due to extenuating circumstances can receive additional support through the NYC Department of Education’s Referral Centers for High School Alternatives.
- Pregnant and/or parenting students who need assistance accessing referral services including childcare can receive additional support through the Referral Centers for High School Alternatives or the LYFE program.
- Located in every borough, Referral Centers for High School Alternatives are staffed with guidance counselors, social workers, and Academic Intervention Specialists (AIS) who can assist students and families.
- LYFE centers in every borough offer referral services and free to low-cost childcare.
II. Frequently Asked Questions
Can pregnant and/or parenting students remain at their home school?
Yes. Pregnant and/or parenting students who remain at their home school must continue to receive academic instruction and can access social support services through their guidance counselor.
What other services does the NYC Department of Education offer to pregnant and parenting students?
Students who are pregnant and/or parenting can receive academic and social support services through the NYC Department of Education’s Alternative Schools & Programs District (District 79). District 79 operates Referral Centers for High School Alternatives and LYFE centers both of which are equipped to support pregnant and parenting students through Academic Intervention Specialists (AIS).
How do the Referral Centers for High School Alternatives support pregnant and parenting students?
NYC Department of Education’s Alternative Schools & Programs District (District 79) operates Referral Centers for High School Alternatives which are equipped to support pregnant and parenting students who need additional assistance. Opened in fall 2007, the mission of these Referral Centers is to help students make a personal education and career plan by assessing their academic and social needs and linking them to the best options matched to their needs. Referral Centers are staffed with Guidance Counselors, Social Workers and an Academic Intervention Specialist (AIS).
The AIS are dedicated to serving pregnant and parenting students by:
- Helping students enroll in and access LYFE services
- Ensuring appropriate school placement for pregnant and parenting students
- Providing academic intervention services to parenting students (both young men and women)
- Informing pregnant and parenting students of their rights as a NYC DOE student
- Providing technical assistance to students and school/program staff regarding pregnancy/parenting issues, as needed
To learn more about the Referral Centers for High School Alternatives, please refer to the document titled Referral Centers for High School Alternatives.
Academic Intervention Specialists are located at the Referral Centers for High School Alternatives. Use the table below to identify the Referral Center in your borough and ask to speak with the AIS on site. Where there are no AIS assigned to a site, a Guidance Counselor (GC) or Social Worker (SW) is available to support pregnant and parenting students. Guidance Counselors and Social Workers work closely with AIS staff at other sites to ensure pregnant and parenting students have access to appropriate and high quality resources and support. For your convenience, the table below lists the pregnant and parenting support staff at each site.
|
Referral Center |
Contact Information |
Address |
Support Staff |
|
Bronx @ Bronx Regional HS
|
Phone 718-842-9200
Fax 718- 589-6387 |
1010 Reverend James A. Polite Avenue
3PPrdPP Floor
Bronx, NY 10459 |
Korentha Austin (GC)
Patience Odogwu(GC)
Eva Ruiz (GC)
Margaret Vargas (GC)
|
|
Brooklyn @ Marcy Avenue Complex
|
Phone 718-636-5770
Fax 718-398-4476
|
832 Marcy Avenue Room 501A
Brooklyn, NY 11216 |
Kim Hudson (AIS)
Jean Kotuby (GC)
Michelle Mohammed (GC)
Ava Eccles (GC)
Rita Edwards (GC)
Anna Eng (GC)
|
|
Queens @
Jamaica Learning Center |
Phone 718-739-2100
Fax 718-523-1251
|
162-02 Hillside Ave Room 109
Jamaica, NY 11432 |
Richard Bonk (GC)
Michelle Brown (GC) Rhuma Jean (GC)
Robbin Johnson (SW)
Tom Lee (GC)
Tanika Martinez (AIS)
Robin Rosenzweig (AIS)
|
|
Manhattan @ Alternative Education Complex |
Phone 212-244-1274
Fax 212-967-4565
|
500 Eighth Avenue
(at 35PPthPP St.)
7PPthPP Floor
New York, NY 10018 |
Altagracia Feliz-Lynch (SW)
Linda Gourdine-Hunt (GC)
Joan Rubenstein (AIS/SW)
Eugene Reilly (AIS/Teacher)
Susan Zandman (SW)
|
|
Staten Island @ St. George |
Phone 718-273-3225
Fax- 718-448-3936 |
450 St. Marks Place Staten Island, NY 10301 |
Rulsca Barthelus (GC)
Antoine Vaval (SW)
|
If you experience difficulty in contacting a Referral Center,
please contact: The District 79 Office of Student Support Services
Phone 917- 521-3639
Fax 917-521-3649
4360 Broadway, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10033
The Living for the Young Family through Education (LYFE) program supports pregnant and parenting students enrolled in a NYC Department of Education school by providing childcare and referral services. Each LYFE site has a childcare center for students’ young children and is linked to a social services and health referral network developed by the on site LYFE Social Worker.
More information on the LYFE program