Preparing for the future

Teen pregnancy and childbearing

There are well-documented links between adolescent childbearing and individual, family, and community characteristics. For example, adolescents who feel connected to and do well in school are less likely than are other adolescents to have children. At the family level, youth who feel connected to and supported by their families are less likely to have sex and become pregnant. Among females ages 15-24, the probability of having had a birth before age 20 is higher for those whose mothers gave birth as teens and those whose mothers have lower levels of education. In addition, the probability of having a birth before age 20 is lower for those who lived with both biological parents at age 14 compared to those with other living arrangements. At the community level, teens who have mentors and have more connection to their communities are less likely to engage in sexual activity, and those who live in communities with higher rates of substance abuse, violence, and hunger are more likely to start having sex early and to have a child.

What we do

Our program is designed to guide these young women into motherhood, even through the toughest times. These young women are currently displaced from their family and may have nowhere to go. We will provide housing, parenting classes and also transitional services to prepare them for a future with their child.