Helping young people plan for the future: Paths to Parenthood

Every young person deserves the opportunity to plan for the future they want. For many young people, understanding the responsibilities of parenthood before becoming a parent can help shape decisions about education, relationships, finances and life goals.

Across Minnesota, schools, community organizations and other youth-serving partners are helping young people build the knowledge and life skills needed to make informed decisions about relationships, parenting and their future. DCYF's Paths to Parenthood program helps make those conversations possible by providing practical tools, guided discussions and opportunities for personal reflection before young people face those decisions in real life.

Preparing for parenthood starts with a conversation

Community organizations, schools, correctional facilities and other youth-serving partners work with DCYF to bring Paths to Parenthood directly to young people where they learn, receive services and build trusted relationships.

The program includes two curricula: a comprehensive, nine-session curriculum designed for young people facing adverse or traumatic circumstances or who are justice-involved, and an abbreviated classroom curriculum designed for broader audiences. Developed by Child Support Division staff and community partners, both curricula help participants explore the financial, legal, emotional and personal responsibilities of becoming a parent while reflecting on how parenthood fits into their own life plans.

Rather than relying on lectures, the curriculum uses dialogue-based conversations grounded in restorative practices, creating space for honest discussion, personal reflection and peer learning. Participants explore real-life questions about relationships, finances, parenting responsibilities and support systems while learning from one another and considering how those decisions align with their own goals.

More than parenting: Building skills for life

Throughout the curriculum, participants explore real-life questions about relationships, finances, parenting responsibilities and the support systems that can help them succeed.

While both curricula include unique content on the legal aspects of paternity and child support, the full curriculum also covers topics like:

• Personal milestones and circles of support
• Coercive relationships and individual trauma
• Historical trauma and resilience

The Child Support Division at DCYF designed Paths to Parenthood for use by schools, community organizations, correctional facilities, and other agencies that serve youth. The division supports these organizations in implementing the program by offering guest speakers, facilitator consultations, and “Train-the-Trainer” sessions.

Anyone interested in attending a ‘Train-the-trainer’ session can register for the next session on August 6, 2026.

In addition, the Child Support Division produced several videos of interviews with young adults and child support and financial literacy professionals sharing examples of questions people grapple with about parenthood that support the curricula.

Positive results for young people and community partners

So far, the feedback has been positive. “After two sessions of the Paths to Parenthood curriculum, my clients are LOVING it! I have literally never seen them this engaged before! It is so fun to watch them diving into the material,” said a program facilitator from a community organization.

Beyond positive feedback, the evaluation found the curriculum is helping young people reflect on their future, better understand the realities of parenthood and apply what they learn to their own lives.

A program evaluation conducted by the University of Minnesota Center for Healthy Youth Development also shows program participants are having a positive experience with:

• 93% reporting they would recommend the program to a friend
• 92% reporting they “agree” or “strongly agree” that they were satisfied with the program overall
• 90% reporting they “agree” or “strongly agree” that the activities and exercises enhanced their ability to learn the subject matter.

What's next for Paths to Parenthood

As interest in Paths to Parenthood continues to grow, more organizations are helping young people build the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about relationships, parenthood and their future. The program’s next step is adapting the curriculum for Indigenous youth, with plans to make it available to organizations in the near future. This work reflects the value of creating space for honest conversations before young people face one of life’s biggest decisions.

“Seeing Minnesota’s Paths to Parenthood program come to life has been incredibly rewarding. We’re encouraged by the response from the organizations delivering the program and the young people taking it. It’s exciting to see the curricula help young people as they think about parenting and their futures,” said Rowzat Shipchandler, director of Program and Strategic Initiatives for the Child Support Division.

By helping young people think intentionally about relationships, parenthood and their goals, Paths to Parenthood is giving more Minnesota youth the opportunity to plan for the future they want.