Adolescent Pregnancy Project

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• Learn more about adolescent parents, parenting, relationships, and teen pregnancy.

Legal

The Adolescent Pregnancy Project offers information on North Carolina law and resources to pregnant and parenting adolescents and those who care for them. The content includes legal guides and resource lists for health providers, social services employees, school employees, the parents of pregnant and parenting adolescents and adolescents themselves.The project seeks to help adolescents understand their legal choices including access to health care, education and social services and their role as lawful decision makers. The guides also help caregivers assess the possibility of abuse, neglect or coercive sexual relationships and generally outline the role of adult advisors, both family members and professionals.The School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill has a new, easy-to-read booklet that can be read and printed on-line without charge or registration. It answers questions about North Carolina law and U.S. law affecting young women seventeen or younger who are pregnant or parents. A minor’s partner, parents, relatives and guardians—anyone a minor depends on--will also find the guide very useful. Topics included in the booklet include:

• Can a minor legally raise a child, have—or refuse to have—an abortion, place a child for adoption, get married, drop out of school or insist on staying?
• Can a minor sign a lease? Consent to health care? Take out a restraining order? Get public assistance or a job?
• What rights and responsibilities do a baby’s father and grandparents have?

A separate section describes the law relevant to immigrants, new citizens, and those not yet fluent in English.