FY2011 Teen Pregnancy Budget Recommendations

1. Fund effective, comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention at $3 million to save costs and reduce the Massachusetts dropout rate.

• There were 4,944 teen births in 2007 and the MA teen birth rate is on the rise.1
• Teen paretnhood is a leading reason 26% of youth in the U.S. dropout of high school each year.2
• Reductions in teen childbearing saved MA taxpayers $144 million in 1 year alone.3

2. Fund the Young Parent GED Program at $4.7 million so that all young families can secure employment and earn family sustaining wages.

More teen parents need access to educational opportunity and a living wage due to an increase in the 2007 teen birth rate in Massachusetts.

YPP is the only alternative educational setting designed for parenting teens to receive a high school diploma or GED.

3. Fund Teen Parent Child Care at $18 million to help keep teen parents in school and work.

TPCC ensures teen parents stay in school and work. It provides quality childcare, parent mentoring, and support services.

4. Fund the Teen Living Program at $7.0 million and ensure shelter for homeless teen families.

There are already over 40 teen parents and more than 40 of their children on the waitlist for TLP shelter. We must ensure funding for safe housing and clinical services to promote progress toward independent living.

5. Fund the Young Parent Support Program at $2.3 million and protect safety net services for young families.

The Young Parent Support Program is the safety net of safety nets. YPS programs provide intensive counseling and case management for young parents at the highest risk of abuse and neglect. YPS helps young parents with mental health, trauma, homelessness, and domestic violance issues attain stability to meet their responsibilities as parents, students, and employees.

6. Fund the Healthy Families Program at $10.7 million and protect health and support services for teen families.

Healthy Families programs provide home visiting and parenting skills that teens need to ensure the healthy development of their children. Healthy Families is often the only one-on-one support a teen parent receives.

1. 1. O’Keefe, G., Cohen, B., & Nyberg, S. (2008, February). Massachusetts Births 2006. Boston: Massachusetts Department of Public Health., O’Keefe, G., Cohen, B., & Nyberg, S. (2009, February). Massachusetts Births 2007. Boston: Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
2. 2. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2006). The silent epidemic: perspectives of high school dropouts. Seattle, Washington: found at http://www.gatesfoundation.org/united-states/Documents/TheSilentEpidemic3-06FINAL.pdf.
3. 3. National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unintended Pregnancy (2006). By the Numbers: The Public Costs of Teen Childbearing. Washington, D.C.