This thesis examines the life histories of twenty four adolescent mothers who had lived on the streets of Mexico City, Mexico for a prolonged period (for more than four years) and came to the Mexican non-profit organization SEDAC for support with their pregnancies and children. Research subjects were categorized as having "successful" and "unsuccessful" street exits based on their ability to stay off the street and parent their children. Primary findings were that mothers in the "unsuccessful" category had experienced violence at a greater rate both in their families of origin and on the street and were also more likely to suffer from mental health problems, especially suicidal ideation. Also, the "unsuccessful" mothers were more likely to have migrated to the street at a younger age and to have used drugs for a longer period of time. There was not a significant statistical difference between the education levels, duration on the street, labor histories or age of drug initiation between the two groups. These findings were based on analysis of archival research of prior residents at SEDAC. In addition, the findings were fortified by ethnographic observations conducted by the researcher on the streets with Casa Alianza's street educators and within the resident shelters of Casa Alianza and SEDAC, as well as by interviews with personnel of both organizations. The chief practical finding of this research for social welfare agencies that provide for street youth is that a focus on mental health and recovery from trauma and abuse should be an integral part of efforts to help adolescent mothers transition off of the street and successfully parent their children. ,