Hope Sector: Young Parent Living Programs (YPLP)

In 1995 the Massachusetts Legislature passed welfare reform legislation which made changes in eligibility for Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) by establishing a requirement that all teen parents under the age of 18 must live with their parents, adult guardian, or an adult relative over the age of 20, unless a determination is made that they are unable to live with their parents due to abuse, neglect, addiction or other extraordinary circumstances.  While the majority of teen parents in the Commonwealth are able to live with a parent or relative, some teen parents are unable to due to abuse, neglect, addiction, or other extraordinary circumstances.  Through an interagency agreement with the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), the Department of Children and Families (DCF) conducts assessments to determine if the teen parent is able to live in their parent’s home, and if not to provide alternative housing and services to the teen parents who qualify to live away from their parents. 

As a result, our TPLPs (in addition to providing shelter to teen parents and their children) are intended to provide teen parents a menu of services either in-house or via community partnerships that meet the specialized needs of this population. Centerboard’s TPLPs are located in Lynn, Chelsea, and Melrose.