The Fresno Regional Foundation (FRF) awards one and two-year grants
for Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) in Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Merced,
Mariposa, and Kings Counties. The grants range from $10,000 to
$100,000. Visit the TPP page of our 2011 Annual Report to learn about some of our past grantees.
These grants fund programs that reduce teen pregnancy either by providing reproductive
health services, sexuality education or other youth
development initiatives aimed at reducing teen pregnancy. Youth
development programs should demonstrate working with young people and
their families in such a way that allows them to lead and/or develop
initiatives aligned with teen pregnancy prevention.
The grants also fund reproductive health training and
development of staff and/or volunteers; training and education of
evidence-based curriculum; gender inclusive and gender appropriate
training and education for staff and volunteers; youth conferences that
include reproductive health; parent engagement programs; and/or peer
outreach teams.
Although birth rates to teen mothers have decreased, teen pregnancy and parenting continues to be a significant social issue in our community. According to the Public Policy Institute, Tulare and Kings County account for the highest teen birth rates in all of California with 6.9% of births from women ages 15-19. Moreover, 66% of teen births in California are to Latina women (Public Policy Institute of California, p. 9)
This research is an annual update the teen birth rates in California.
Although teen mothers who stay in school are just as likely
to graduate as non-mothers, those who drop out before or shortly after
childbirth are only half as likely to return to school and graduate as
are non-mother dropouts. (p.2)
Pregnant teens are most likely to smoke during pregnancy.
Smoking among pregnant and parenting teens appears to be highly related
to pregnancy and early parenting related stress, and it is especially
resistant to successful cessation. Even teen mothers who successfully
quit smoking during pregnancy tend to relapse immediately or shortly
after birth. (p. 3)
[In 2008], the current annual net costs to taxpayers of
births to teen mothers in California are estimated to be $1.7 billion,
and current annual total net costs to society run $3.8 billion. (p. 3)
This research is based on a nationally representative survey of 1,800 unmarried young adults aged 18-29 and is the first of its kind to focus in-depth on the attitudes and behavior of unmarried young adults—both men and women— regarding pregnancy planning, contraception, and related issues.
The findings are contained in this report and include 20-somethings':
basic knowledge about and attitudes toward contraception,
motivation to use contraception carefully and consistently, and
attitudes and aspirations about relationships and forming families.
To reduce teen pregnancy, it is critical to understand not only the behavior prevention efforts are trying to change, but also the beliefs and attitudes that influence those behaviors. To that end, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has conducted a number of surveys over the years to help youth service providers, media, educators, and the general public better understand the perspectives of teens and parents on sex, relationships, contraception, and other topics.
The Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health program, the Office of Family Planning, and the University of California at San Francisco are pleased to announce the release of Teen Births in California: A Resource for Planning and Policy. The resource shows California teen birth rates, differences by race and ethnicity, and comparisons at the Medical Service Study Area (MSSA) level. MSSAs, are sub-county areas comprised of contiguous census tracts that do not cross county boundaries. The main purpose of this resource is to identify locations in California with higher or lower teen birth rates based on births in 2004/2005 as well as comparing changes in teen birth rates from 2000/2001 to 2004/2005. Included are maps by county and MSSA displaying overall teen birth rates and rates by race and ethnicity. Also included are tables organized alphabetically by county and MSSA community/place name and number. Presenting the data geographically by race and ethnicity, and in table form, will assist the targeting of teen pregnancy-related and teen birth-related programs. Major funding for this effort was provided by Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant.
Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing in California
Poor and low-income teens account for 83% of teens who give birth and 85% of those who become an unmarried parent. (p. 10)
An estimated 50% to 60% of parenting teens have been sexually abused, compared to 25% to 30% national rate for never-pregnant teens. ( p. 16)
Children of parents with low educational attainment, occupation, and income are more likely to have sex at an early age, not use contraception consistently, and become pregnant or cause a pregnancy. (p. 17)
A second pregnancy is more likely for teens living apart from their parents, being below grade level, having dropped out of school, or growing up in a disadvantaged neighborhood where early parenting gives adult status rather than lost opportunity. (p. 23)
Nearly 80% of fathers of children born to teen mothers do not marry the mothers and only one out of five teen mothers receive any financial support from their child's father. (pp. 23-26)
The curricula listed below are examples of evidence-based programs. How the Review Was Conducted provides more information on the review's criteria. The table also provides links to summary information about the implementation of each program and its supporting research evidence. The information is based on the research studies reviewed and on publicly available online sources. The implementation information is not exhaustive and may not reflect the most recent experience with each intervention.
Contact
Organizations interested in teen pregnancy prevention are encouraged to become a part of the Regional Collaborative as they are an excellent resource for experienced practitioners and local, state and national information. Please contact Celeste Ramos, Representative for the Central Valley Regional TPP Collaborative.
Neighborhood Market Program
Volunteers help supervise the children as clients visit the Community Food Bank’s Neighborhood Market program. This food distribution program delivers fresh produce and other healthy staples to destitute areas of Fresno, Madera and Kings Counties. Since its launch in March 2008, the program has distributed more than 1 million pounds of food in more than 30 locations. Thank you to the Fresno Regional Foundation for awarding a $10,000 human services grant to support this important work!