Senate Ways and Means Budget Analysis

The Senate Ways and Means Budget was released Wednesday, May 19. This $27.88 billion dollar proposed would result in cuts across 321 line items including a $159 million reduction to local aid. Overall teen parent programs would see relatively small percentage reductions under the Senate Ways and Means budget, except for the Young Parent GED Program line item. This line item (Employment Services) would be reduced $5 million or 24%. Teen Pregnancy Prevention funding would also be reduced -- by 19%. Use the script below to CALL YOUR SENATOR ASAP and ask him/her to co-sign amendments to increase funding for Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Employment Services, including the Young Parent GED Program. You can also ask your Sentor to support an amendment to ensure no teen parent has to drop out of school because of lack of child care. You can find your Senator at http://www.wheredoivotema.com.

Check out our Budget Recommendations Fact Sheet for more details on teen pregnancy related line items in the fiscal year 2011 budget.

-Script-

Hi, my name is ___________ and I am calling from ____________(city/program) to urge Senator ____________ to co-sign the Teen Pregnancy Prevention amendment, #577 sponsored by Senator Fargo AND the Employment Services amendment, #310 and Teen Parent Child Care, amendment # 385, both sponsored by Senator McGee.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention*

• Teen pregnancy prevention works: in 2008 (the most recent year for which we have data) there was a 9% reduction in the number of teen births.
  
•  This 9% reduction in teen births saved Massachusetts $16 million in health care and public assistance costs
  
• Teen pregnancy prevention reduces dropout: teen parenthood is a leading reason 26% of teens drop out in the U.S. each year.

Employment Services/Young Parent GED Program*
The Employment Services Program Amendment funds line item 4401-1000 at the same level as the House and will allow maintenance level funding for The Young Parent GED Program.

• The Young Parent GED Program is an integral part of the state’s dropout outreach and recovery efforts
  
• If a teen mother does not achieve a high school diploma or GED, the chance of child poverty is 42%.
  
• Maternal education is a key predictor of a child’s academic success.
  
• A GED is the minimum level of education required to access family sustaining wages.
  

Teen Parent Child Care
The TANF Related Teen Parent Child Care Amendment is a language only amendment and asks for no increases in funding. It strengthens existing language in the TANF Related Child Care Account (EEC 3000-4050) to ensure no teen parent under the age of 18 has to drop out of high school or their GED program due to lack of child care.

Thank you
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*Employment Services/YPP References:

• The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (n.d.) Why it matters: Teen Pregnancy and Education. Washington, D.C.
• Magnuson, Katherine A. and McGroder, Sharon M. Northwestern University and Child Trends. (2008) The effect of increasing welfare mothers’ education on their young children’s academic problems and school readiness.
• Crittenton Women’s Union and the Center for Social Policy (2008). Fits and Starts: The difficult path for working single parents.

*Teen Pregnancy Prevention References

• O’Keefe, G., Cohen, B., $ Nyberg, S. (2010, March). Massachusetts Births 2008. Boston: Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
• The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (2006). By the numbers: The public costs of teenage childbearing. Washington, D.C.
• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2006). The silent epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts. Seattle, WA.