A nonprofit program, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, seeks to head off teen pregnancy by exposing elementary school students to the demands of child care. The program combines academic study of pregnancy, child development, and the skills required to be good parents, with monthly classroom visits by a parent and infant. (MLF)

Decrying dependence on "helping professionals," the author maintains that people absolved of responsibilities for their actions are willing to give up their independence. Prevalent psychological approaches to parenting and to treating students' behavioral and academic problems are criticized, and the common-sense solution of holding students and…