You’ll be surprised how much those cute little bundles cost; a baby can
run you up to $10,000 the first year (including the hospital fee). But
don’t panic; sit down with your mother or an experienced parent and
work out a budget of exactly what the baby will need and how much it will
cost.
The greatest expense will be healthcare followed by diapers,
wipes, lotions and formula, if you choose to bottle feed. You can save a
lot of money by going to garage sales or thrift stores and purchasing
cribs, changing tables and baby clothes.
Babies need a lot of stuff, but
you may be surprised by how generous people suddenly become with their
kiddy hand-me-downs when they want to see your baby smile. Again, this
is not the time to be proud; accept gifts with enthusiasm.
Just the Facts…
Few teenage parents are able to rely on their parents for all of their
financial needs; after all, your parents have their own family to
support. The option for many is a part-time job and school combined with
government support such as food stamps or welfare. Most states limit
welfare to 2 years and require that the recipient pursue some kind of
training that will improve their chances of eventual employment.
It is better
to swallow your pride and collect welfare temporarily than to drop out
of school; jobs that do not require at least a high school diploma are
few and far between and are very low paying. If you have to drop out of
school, be sure that it is only a temporary measure and make concrete
plans on how you will return.
If you are the mother and are not married, you will need to go your
state Health and Welfare Department to confirm the paternity of the child.
If the father has disappeared, the authorities will assist you in
searching for him so he can pay child support. An unwed mother must identify
the father of the child to receive benefits. If you receive a paternity
notice, the law in most states that you need to report to the
authorities within 10 days.
Once paternity has been established, the father must pay child support.
This is usually taken directly out of his paycheck. Failure to pay
child support can result in losing your driver’s license or even going to
jail. However, most states are fair in the amount of child support
required from teenagers and allow a father living with his parents to pay
child support jointly with his parents. This often allows the father to
continue school and to work part-time.