A Policy Platform to Promote Health and Success among Young Families is the result of a yearlong process undertaken by Healthy Teen Network to identify the most pressing challenges facing young families today and the federal programs that are currently, or could be, responsive to those needs.

Young families need access to the same types of supports that all youth and families need for positive development, yet they often need them in more intensity, for longer duration, and to be targeted to the developmental stage of the young parent. Healthy Teen Network organized its analysis of young family needs and gaps in resources and services among seven “life domains”:

1. Health and Human Services
2. Housing
3. Education
4. Workforce and Life Skills Development
5. Child Welfare and Development
6. Income Security
7. Knowledge Development and Transfer

We then matched these life domains with relevant federal policy and programs, identified gaps, and developed recommendations to create new law or amend current law or public policy.

See also:

• Executive Summary
• Suggested Action Steps