Happy New Year. this video is part of a Holiday event we’ve done every year for the past 30 years. it is very scaled down because of Covid — our team is usually there — playing games, serving food, giving gifts.

Established in 1989 and operating in the Plainfield (NJ) High School, School Based Youth Services: Plainfield Teen Parenting Program, Inc. (SBYS: PTPP) has achieved extraordinary success as a dropout prevention program. The initiative was developed in response to the growing incidences of teenage pregnancies in Plainfield.

With an initial grant of $350,000 each (to 10 similar projects throughout the US) from the AT&T Foundation, the program’s earliest mission was to enable teen parents attending school to successfully carry out parenting, educational/vocational and health care responsibilities by facilitating access to needed support services.

Additional program goals included helping young parents to break the cycle of child abuse and repeat pregnancies, as well as provide the guiding resources to self-motivate the parents in the program to continue their post high school education.

The program also included a quality operated early care and education program for the infants and toddlers of the young parents in its on-site “Infant & Toddler Center” located in the high school. The positive results of this program have made it the national and international model for similar programs and it has been replicated in 14 cities in NJ.

Of the 10 initial projects the Plainfield program remains a stellar support program in the community-mostly because of the Volunteer Component. Since its inception, Pioneers have served as mentors, role models and fund raisers for the program and New Outlook Pioneers continue to have an impact in its success.

Since its inception, nearly 700 students have been enrolled in the program which accommodates up to 28 parents and their children per school year. A significant achievement for the program is that SBYS: PTPP has achieved a 98% graduation rate among its senior student participants with many going on to a continued education or vocation program and become productive citizens in the communities where they live and work

Annually program parents and children are blessed with a holiday dinner and gift giving party sponsored and hosted by New Outlook Pioneers. The event is truly wonderful. The dinner is provided by Shiloh Baptist Church members (who are also NOP volunteers). All of the children received PJ’s, outfits and a stuffed animal. The parents receive grocery store gift cards that are donated by John C. Campbell Realty Company (John is a board member). Staff members also receive a poinsettia as a thank you for the outstanding work that they do for the families in the program.


Submitted by:
Patricia Anne Fields
POB 6225, Plainfield, NJ 07062
908-391-8212