Statement of Philosophy
APIN members are committed to promoting the health and wellness of pregnant and parenting adolescents. We believe that the most effective way to accomplish this task is to build self-esteem and competency in young people so they see themselves as self-sufficient and economically independent, and therefore, with more options in life. APIN advocates a multi-faceted approach to sexuality and family life education, beginning at an early age, and encourages young men and women to accept responsibility for their decisions.
APIN promotes an awareness of the need to intervene with the whole family and social network, recognizing that the children of adolescent parents are, themselves, at risk for early parenthood and social assistance dependency. We recognize the impact of misleading messages, delivered by media and the general culture, on vulnerable adolescents.
APIN is structured around the following basic issue areas:
- It is committed to the development and maintenance of services and approaches that assist in the prevention of teen pregnancies.
- It is committed to the provision of non-judgmental counselling to allow teens to make informed choices regarding the outcome of a pregnancy.
- It is committed to the provision of financial, emotional, social, nutritional, educational, vocational, and health supports to adolescents during and after pregnancy.