Meeting the Challenge of COVID-19: Innovation and Adaptation in Services for Expectant and Parenting Youth in Baltimore

Authors

Margo Candelaria, University of ConnecticutFollow
Corey Shdaimah, University of Maryland School of Social WorkFollow
Jenny Afkinich, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillFollow
Yan (Stella) Zhu, Rutgers UniversityFollow

Abstract

To explore perspectives on COVID-19’s impact on access to services for expectant and parenting youth (EPY), qualitative interviews were conducted with seven service providers and two parents. Open coding resulted in three overarching themes. 1. Creativity and adaptation: pride regarding ability to devise necessary modifications. 2. New and ongoing networks: inter-agency collaboration, provider-parent relationships, and parent networks offered material and social support. 3. Communication: varied strategies helped maintain and initiate EPY engagement. In under-resourced environments where providers and EPY must be creative due to scarcity, COVID-19 required that respondents draw on existing networks and strategies to cope with new challenges.

Recommended Citation

Candelaria, Margo; Shdaimah, Corey; Afkinich, Jenny; and Zhu, Yan (Stella) (2024) "Meeting the Challenge of COVID-19: Innovation and Adaptation in Services for Expectant and Parenting Youth in Baltimore," Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice: Vol. 10: Iss. 2, Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/jhstrp/vol10/iss2/3