Building on Success
Teen Pregnancy Prevention in California
National
Conference
of
State
Legislatures
“Over the years, California has been at the forefront of teen pregnancy prevention
programming. Many of the programs have served as models for other states trying to
deal with teen pregnancy prevention and childbearing.”
—Petra Jerman, Public Health Institute
I
n December 2009, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
brought together legislative staff from
the California Senate and Assembly for
the “Building on Success: Teen Pregnancy
Prevention in California” workshop. The
meeting, sponsored by The California Wellness Foundation, convened 17 legislative
staff and leading national and state experts
to highlight promising practices in the area
of teen pregnancy prevention.
This brief summarizes some of the major
topics covered during the meeting, including:
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Workshop Faculty
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Jennifer Drake, The National Campaign to
Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
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Gail Gronert, Speaker’s Policy Office,
California
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Carol Isackson, California Superior Court,
San Diego County
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Petra Jerman, Public Health Institute at UC
Berkeley
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Andrea Kane, The National Campaign to
Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
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Douglas Kirby, ETR Associates
Overview of Teen Pregnancy and Births
• Hector Sanchez-Flores, then-University of
in California and the United States
California, San Francisco
California’s Approach to Teen
• Sheri Steisel, NCSL State-Federal
Pregnancy Prevention
Addressing High-Risk Populations
Relations
in California
Programs That Work
Recent Federal Funding Changes
Digging Deeper: Additional Resources on Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Additional information covered at the meeting, including speaker presentations, is available on
NCSL’s website at http://www.ncsl.org/?TabId=19234.
Overview of Teen Pregnancy and Births in California and the United States
Teenage Pregnancy and Birth Rates. With the exception of a slight uptick from 2005 to 2007,
the nationwide birth rate for teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 has declined over the past
two decades. From 1991 to 2009 the U.S. teen birth rate dropped by 37 percent, from 61.8 births
per 1,000 teens to 39.1 births per 1,000 teens. In 2009, teen birth rates reached their lowest level
since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking teenage childbearing nearly 70
years ago.1
National Conference of State Legislatures
A similar, although accelerated trend occurred in
California during the same time, resulting in a rapid
and significant decline in teenage birth rates. As Figure
1 shows, between 1991 and 2009, California’s teen
birth rate dropped from 70.0 births per 1,000 teens to
32.1 births per thousand teens—the lowest birth rate
recorded in California. This represents a decline from
51,704 births to teens ages 15 to 19 in 2008 to a low
of 46,811 births the following year.2
Sanchez-Flores, then-senior research associate at the
University of California San Francisco.
Figure 2. Teen Pregnancy: A Confluence of Factors
Figure 1. California and U.S. Teen Birth Rates,
1991-2009
United States
California
Costs and Consequences of Teenage Births. The
costs of teen births are borne by the mother, her family
and society. Teen mothers and their children are more
likely to experience the following adverse short- and
long-term consequences:
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Despite the positive news, California and the nation
lag behind other western nations where the teenage
birth rates are less than 10 births per 1,000 female
teenagers, suggesting that further reductions in teenage pregnancy levels are attainable. According to the
Public Health Institute, “This discrepancy reinforces
that both California and the United States cannot be
complacent with the status quo, and that much work
remains to realize our full potential in reducing teen
birth rates.”3 Further reductions in teen birth rates
require a targeted approach that addresses behaviors
and attitudes among specific high-risk groups and geographic “hotspots”—locations where teenage pregnancies are disproportionately high.
Contributing Factors to Teen Sexual Behavior.
Douglas Kirby, senior research scientist at ETR Associates, and meeting participants identified several factors
that influence a teen’s decision to have sex, including
self-assurance, communication in the family, peer
pressure, messages portrayed in the media, racial and
cultural differences, adult monitoring and supervision,
and the age at which girls start dating (Figure 2). This
“confluence of factors,” includes individual, family, partner and societal factors, according to Hector
2
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Poor birth outcomes (e.g., lower birthweight),
poor academic performance, delinquency and later
substance abuse for the child;
Lower educational attainment and persistent poverty for the mother; and
Repeat teen pregnancy in the family.
In addition, teen births present significant economic
costs to society. According to Petra Jerman, research
scientist at the Public Health Institute at University of
California, Berkeley, in 2006 the average annual cost
to taxpayers for each teen birth was $2,493, and the
average annual cost to society totaled $5,562 for each
birth. Based on these figures, Jerman estimated that
the California taxpayer cost for the 53,000 teen births
in 2007 totaled $1.8 billion. Recent estimates by the
National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned
Pregnancy found the 2008 taxpayer cost of teen childbearing in California to be at least $1.1 billion. State
costs ranged from $16 million in North Dakota to
$1.2 billion in Texas; the national cost to U.S. taxpayers in 2008 was $10.9 billion.4
National Conference of State Legislatures
Jennifer Drake and Andrea Kane from the National
Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
(National Campaign) also underscored the cost of
teenage births on the social services system. Compared
to older mothers (e.g., mothers age 20 to 21), teen
mothers age 17 and younger were more likely to have
a child placed in foster care during the child’s first
five years, and twice as likely to have a reported case
of child abuse or neglect. Delaying the age at which
young people give birth from 17 or earlier to ages 20
or 21 would reduce foster care placements by 8 percent
and federal, state and local child welfare costs by $1.8
billion annually.
Calculating the Cost of Teenage Pregnancy
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Taxpayer costs of teenage births account for
lost tax revenue based on the teen parents’
and children’s future lower incomes and consumption, public assistance costs, costs for
increased foster placement and incarceration
of their children.
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The total costs to society also include estimated loss in earnings of teen mothers, fathers
and children, as well as privately paid medical
costs.
California’s Approach to Teen Pregnancy
Prevention
Between 1991 and 2009, California’s teen birth rate
dropped by 55 percent. 5 During the same time period,
the U.S. teen birth rate dropped by about 37 percent.6
According to meeting faculty, California’s success is the
result of a comprehensive strategy that emphasizes education, prevention, youth development, access to clinical services and contraceptives, and support services for
pregnant and parenting teens (see box below).
Kirby pointed out that California has invested resources in programs that work. “We’ve had a lot of
discussion in this state about what programs are effective and what defines them, and funds have gone
to implementing programs that are effective.” Table
1 summarizes some California programs that address
teenage pregnancy.
Source: Norman Constantine, Carmen Rita Nevarez,
and Petra Jerman, No Time for Complacency: Teen
Births in California (Berkeley, Calif.: Public Health Institute, 2008).
What Did California Do?
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Devoted substantial resources to the problem
Targeted “hotspots” (areas with high birth rates)
Achieved common ground on approach
Turned down federal abstinence-only funds
Implemented media campaign to delay initiation of sex
Funded implementation of effective programs
Funded youth development programs
Made contraception available free of charge through Family PACT (described in Table 1)
Made emergency contraception more available through pharmacies
Source: Douglas Kirby, ETR Associates.
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Table 1. Examples of California TPP Programs and Services
4
Program
Program Goals and Activities
Information and
Education (I&E)
The program, administered by the California Office of Family Planning,
seeks to decrease teenage pregnancies through education programs that
equip high-risk teens with “the knowledge, understanding and behavioral
skills necessary to make responsible decisions regarding at-risk behavior.”7 The program provides services and education in diverse, community-based settings, such as schools, social service agencies, juvenile
detention facilities and youth centers.
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/tpp/Pages/InformationEducationProgram.aspx
Cal-Learn*
Cal-Learn provides support to pregnant and parenting teens who have
not completed their high school education. The Department of Social
Services program provides intense case management to assist teens
with education and subsidizes necessary child care, transportation and
educational expenses.
*Cal-Learn was suspended for FY 2011-12 due to budget shortfalls. No
data yet as to the overall effect on teen pregnancy in California.
http://www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/PG84.htm
Family PACT
(Planning, Access,
Care and Treatment)
PACT provides no-cost, confidential, comprehensive, clinical family planning and reproductive health services to low-income men and women.
The Legislature established the program in 1996 with five objectives:
• Reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies
• Increase access to publicly funded family planning for low-income
residents
• Increase the use of effective contraceptive methods
• Promote improved reproductive health
• Reduce the overall number and cost of unintended pregnancies
In 1999, California received a federal Medicaid 1115 waiver that allowed
for federal reimbursement for services. About 2,215 public and private
providers deliver services to more than 1.8 million clients a year.
http://www.familypact.org/en/home.aspx
Cal-SAFE (California
School Age Families
Education Program)
Cal-SAFE is a school-based program that offers comprehensive, community-linked services to improve the education experience of expectant
and parenting students and their children. The Legislature established the
program in 1998 when it consolidated three existing programs.
In 2009, Cal-SAFE became a Tier 3 block grant, providing local educational agencies flexibility to use program funds for any educational purpose. While program requirements for the child development element of
the program were later restored, many programs have cut or eliminated
other teen pregnancy-related Cal-SAFE components.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/cg/pp/overview.asp
Community
Challenge Grant
Program (CCG)*
This community-driven pregnancy prevention program has multiple
goals: to reduce teenage pregnancy; promote responsible parenting; and
increase involvement by the father in the child’s development. Grantees,
which include community-based organizations, school districts, public
health agencies and other public agencies, are required to partially match
their grant amount.
*The CCG program was eliminated for FY 2011-12 due to budget shortfalls. No data yet as to the overall effect on teen pregnancy in California.8
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/tpp/Pages/CommunityChallengeGrantProgram.aspx
National Conference of State Legislatures
Addressing High-Risk Populations in
California
Latina Teen Childbearing
In California and elsewhere, teen pregnancy rates vary
dramatically among populations and locations. As a
result, reducing teenage pregnancies among high-risk
populations—Latinas, older teens, college students,
and foster and transitioning youth—is a focal point for
California’s pregnancy prevention strategies.
Attitudes and behavior among specific populations
vary dramatically. A comprehensive study, Latina
Voices: A Qualitative Study on Latina Teen Childbearing in the Fresno and Los Angeles Areas, examined
the risk and protective factors associated with teenage pregnancy, with the goal of guiding the California
Department of Public Health to reduce Latina pregnancy. Key findings include:
Reducing Birth Rates Among Latinas. Birth rates
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Many participants, especially teens, were misinformed about fertility and birth control and used
birth control ineffectively.
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Many Latina teen pregnancies were intended.
Contraception, while essential to prevent unintended pregnancy, will not address this issue.
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Male partners played an influential role in the
childbearing decisions of Latino youth.
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Parents and other family members generally
played an important role in guiding the lives of
Latino youth, but often had limited resources.
among Latina teens have declined to an all-time low,
according to 2009 data released by the National Center for Health Statistics. Despite the drop, however,
they remain significantly higher than national average.
In California, the birth rate among Hispanic teens
ages 15 to 19 fell to 50.8 births per 1,000, while birth
rates among African American and white teens fell to
37 and 11.9 births per 1,000, respectively. In 2009,
Hispanics represented approximately 46 percent of all
teens in California, but nearly 73 percent of all teen
births were to Hispanic moms.9
One reason for higher birth rates among Latinas is a
lower rate of contraceptive use; 40 percent of Latinas
reported they used some contraceptive method for
their first sexual experience, compared to 65 percent
and 58 percent among whites and African Americans,
respectively. Lower contraceptive use is explained by
many factors, including concerns about the side effects
of hormonal contraceptives, parental reluctance to
discuss sex and sexuality, and financial and geographic
barriers to reproductive services.
In addition, higher Latina birth rates also can be
explained by the greater numbers of teens who are in
relationships with male partners who are three or more
years older. According to Claire Brindis, then-interim
director of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy
Studies, 53 percent of Latina teens thought it was acceptable to be in a relationship with someone three or
more years older. Therefore, as age differences increase
the likelihood of early sexual initiation increases, while
the likelihood of using contraception decreases.
Interventions that address these risk factors include
programs aimed at increasing male involvement, parental communication and support, and teen knowledge of birth control. According to Sanchez-Flores,
“Such efforts should address aspirations and expecta-
Source: Paula Braveman [sic] and Claire Brindis, Latina
Voices: Findings from a Study of Latina Teen Childbearing
in the Fresno and Los Angeles Areas (San Francisco, Calif.:
University of California, San Francisco, 2011).
tions, sex education, birth control use, and improving
communication skills.”
For example, the National Campaign’s Latino Initiative
recently launched a digital media project that features
Latino teens speaking about contraceptives, pregnancy
and other sexuality issues on the social media site
YouTube.com.
Reducing Birth Rates Among Older Teens and
Community College Students. Older teens have
a significantly higher birth rate than young teens. In
2009, the birth rate among 18- and 19-year-olds was
66.2 per 1,000 women in this age group versus 20.1
per 1,000 for 15- to 17-year-olds. Older teens who
are attending community colleges have a higher risk
of dropping out, according to the National Campaign. Specifically, older teens who have children
while in community college are significantly less likely
to finish their education and are more likely to suffer emotional and financial stress that impedes their
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academic performance. Among California community
college students, 5 percent reported having an unintended pregnancy after enrolling, more than twice
the percentage for students in four-year colleges and
universities nationally. Nearly half of community college students reported they have been or have gotten
someone pregnant.
Some Public Health Institute recommendations include the following.
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Encouraging counties to develop and implement
specific policies, plans and procedures to help
prevent pregnancy and STDs and promote sexual
health among foster youth.
Curriculum-based education programs (that target
middle and high schools) are not as effective as other
strategies that focus on using online tools and increasing access to information and services. However,
according to Drake, making family planning services
widely available through programs such as California’s
Family PACT is an effective strategy (See Table 1 for
more about Family PACT).
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Improving access to workshops on comprehensive
sex education, including personal goal setting,
positive relationships, and methods of contraception for foster youth.
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Ensuring that foster youth have access to sex
education before they become age-eligible for
independent living programs (ILP).
In addition, social media can effectively reach this
group. The National Campaign views use of social
media as “a powerful tool not only to get information to young people, but also as a way to use digital
media to boost young people’s use of contraception.”
For example, the National Campaign is developing an
online tool that teens can use in a clinic not only to
help choose their method of contraception, but also to
receive information and reminders about contraceptive
use.
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Training Child and Family Services staff—including supervisory staff, social workers, ILP caseworkers and foster parents—on various aspects of
adolescent sexuality and reproductive health.
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Encouraging staff and foster parents to initiate
discussions about sexuality.
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Increasing access to services, including counseling
and links to medical providers of prenatal care for
pregnant foster youth.
Interventions for Teens in Foster Care. One-third
of girls in foster care become pregnant by age 17, and
almost half become pregnant by age 19, according to
data presented by speakers from the National Campaign. Girls who age out of foster care (at age 18) were
more likely than their peers to become teen parents,
less likely to receive family planning services and less
likely to use contraception. According to Sexual Health
Needs of California’s Foster and Transitioning Youth, a
publication by the Public Health Institute, addressing
teen pregnancy among foster youth requires a comprehensive approach. “In the long term, sex education and
reproductive health services should be interwoven with
other child welfare improvement efforts to holistically
address issues such as absence of trusted adults, low
expectations, and the need to belong, all of which can
contribute to risky sexual behaviors and pregnancy.”
Programs That Work
“The bottom line is that, as judges, we’d like to have some
level of confidence that the programs that our kids go to
have a good track record, and the cycle of pregnancy…is not
going to be broken until these kids get an education that’s
tailored to their particular needs and their dynamics.”
—Judge Carol Isackson,
California Superior Court, San Diego County
In Emerging Answers 2007: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Douglas Kirby summarizes key findings
regarding programs that most effectively prevent
teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.
“Programs,” Kirby writes, “should focus on those risk
and protective factors that they can markedly improve
and that causally affect sexual risk behavior.”
“Programs that target sexual factors must do so clearly and directly. Programs that target nonsexual
factors must intervene intensively in the lives of young people, motivating them to avoid pregnancy
and childbearing or simply giving them less opportunity to engage in unprotected sex.”
—Emerging Answers, page 176
6
National Conference of State Legislatures
Kirby divides teen pregnancy prevention programs
into three major categories: those that focus on sexual
factors, those that focus on non-sexual factors (e.g., academic achievement and having plans for the future),
and those that address sexual and non-sexual factors.
Up Close: Logan Heights and Teen Health Centers
Meeting participants toured the Logan Heights Family
Health Center and Teen Health Center to see an effective model for delivering information and services to
at-risk teens.
Programs that Focus on Sexual Factors. Several
types of programs focus on changing the risk and
protective factors that directly relate to sexual attitudes
and behaviors. Curriculum-based sex and STD/HIV
education programs, for example, are implemented
widely in U.S. schools. These include both abstinenceonly programs and more comprehensive ones that encourage abstinence and also provide information about
contraceptives for sexually active teens. Some of Kirby’s
findings about these programs are summarized below.
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The Logan Heights Family Health Center, began
in 1993, provides comprehensive services through
its Adult, Pediatric and Women’s Clinic; Vision and
Dental Clinic; Family Counseling Center; and pharmacy.
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The Teen Health Center offers a wide range of
services to teens, including pregnancy prevention,
STD screening, and prevention and peer health
education.
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Two-thirds of comprehensive education programs
had positive effects on teen sexual behavior (e.g.,
they delayed the initiation of sex or increased
contraceptive use).
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Abstinence programs had little evidence of a positive effect. Kirby notes, however, that emphasizing
“abstinence, fewer partners and condoms/ contraception are compatible, not conflicting.”
These two centers are part of the Family Health Centers of San Diego, which include a group of 29 sites
located in Logan Heights and other communities. In
2009, Family Health Centers provided comprehensive,
high-quality and affordable care to more than 134,000
low-income people. In addition to primary care, dental
and HIV clinics, Family Health Centers also operated
mobile medical units that provide health care services
at about 60 locations, including schools, public housing
facilities and social service agencies.
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Sex/HIV education programs do not increase
sexual activity.
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Effective curricula incorporate several key characteristics related to content and teaching methods.
For example, most focus on achieving specific
health goals (e.g., pregnancy and STD prevention), identifying behaviors that cause or prevent
pregnancy and STDs, and targeting the psychosocial risk factors that affect those behaviors.
While many of the curriculum-based programs are
effective, Kirby maintains that even the most effective
programs can reduce sexual risk by about one-third. As
a result, education programs are best when considered
as one component of a more comprehensive initiative.
In addition, clinic-based programs provide a range
of information and services to teens, including access
to reproductive services and contraceptives, as well
as information about communicating with parents.
Kirby’s findings related to clinic-based programs are
summarized below.
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Programs can increase condom and contraceptive
use and reduce unprotected sex.
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Providing emergency contraception in advance can
increase their use by teens.
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Effective clinical programs change their practices
for adolescent clients. For example, clinics provide
more than routine information and deliver a clear
message about avoiding unprotected sex.
Programs that Focus on Non-Sexual Factors. “For
teenage girls,” Kirby writes, “protective factors such
as good performance in school, positive plans for the
future, and strong connections to family, school and
faith community all reduce pregnancy and birth rates.”
As a result, many programs focus not only on providing educational and career opportunities, but also on
fostering connections with responsible adults, family,
schools and community organizations. Service learning programs, for example, involve volunteer service in
the community and small group discussions to reflect
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on the service experience. According to Kirby, “studies
have produced strong evidence that some service learning programs have a positive impact on teens.” Specifically, they reduced teen pregnancy during the academic
year that students participated in the program.
Programs that Focus on Sexual and Non-sexual
Factors. Some programs integrate youth development
and sex education. For example, the Children’s Aid Society Carrera Program, originating in New York City,
recruits young teens and encourages their participation
throughout high school. The program, which operates
five days a week, includes a wide range of components,
including academic support, a job club, sex education,
health and mental services, art and sports. The Federal
Office of Adolescent Health identified the Carrera
Program as one of 28 programs for replication in a
2010 grant program, described below. According to
Kirby, successful youth development programs delayed
initiation of sex and increased contraceptive use among
females and reduced pregnancy by half for three years
as reported by females. When programs were replicated
elsewhere, however, results varied.
Other Programs with Potential. In addition to the
programs highlighted above, Kirby identified several
other programs that show evidence of effectiveness
(even if they have not been rigorously evaluated to
date). Some examples include:
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Intensive counseling programs for youth with
emotional distress,
Effective alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs for teens and/or their parents,
Programs for parents about teen sexuality,
Career education programs for youth,
Tutoring programs for teens,
Intensive entrepreneurship programs,
Intensive arts and creative expression programs,
Sports programs for girls that increase their participation in athletics, and
Faith-based programs that encourage youth to be
more involved in their faith communities.
Recent Federal Funding Changes
Since the 2009 meeting, additional federal funding has
become available through budget appropriations and
the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was signed in
8
New Findings on Abstinence-Only Program
A 2010 study published in the American Medical
Association’s Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine found that an abstinence-only program
aimed at very young teenagers helped young teens
delay sex and reduce their recent sexual activity. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen
and Unplanned Pregnancy, “For the first time, there is
strong evidence that an abstinence-only intervention
can help very young teens delay sex and reduce their
recent sexual activity as well.” For more information,
visit http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/press/abstinence_statement/.
March 2010. Some new federal funding programs for
teenage pregnancy prevention are summarized below.
Personal Responsibility Education Program
(PREP). Established by the ACA, PREP provides
$75 million annually for fiscal years 2010 to 2014
for programs that have been scientifically proven to
change behavior, such as delaying sexual activity or
increasing use of contraceptives. PREP programs
must educate youth about responsible sexual behavior and must address at least three of the following
topics: healthy relationships, adolescent development,
financial literacy, parent-child communication skills,
education and employment preparation skills, and
healthy life skills. In addition, programs target at-risk
youth and geographic areas with high teen birth rates.
In September 2010, the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services awarded a total of $45 million to
43 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and
Micronesia. California received $6,553,554 in PREP
funds and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles received
nearly $800,000 for Personal Responsibility Education
Program Innovative Strategies.
Pregnancy Assistance Fund. Also established in
the Affordable Care Act, this program provides $25
million annually in competitive grants for fiscal years
2010 to 2019 to support pregnant and parenting teens
and women and to combat violence against pregnant
women. The Pregnancy Assistance Fund offers a
continuous network of support services to help these
women complete educational degrees and to obtain
and retain access to health care, family housing and
other essential supports. The Department of Health
National Conference of State Legislatures
and Human Services awarded a total of $24 million to
17 states, including California, in 2010. The California Department of Public Health is using funds to
expand the Adolescent Family Life Program and the
CAL-SAFE (School-Age-Families Education) program
to include additional high-need service areas in the
state.
million nationwide for 19 Tier II grants to develop,
replicate, refine and test innovative prevention models
and strategies to reduce teen pregnancy. The two California recipients of Tier II grants were San Bernardino
County Superintendent of Schools and Volunteers of
America of Los Angeles, who received nearly $1 million to develop innovative approaches to address teen
pregnancy.
Title V Abstinence Education. The ACA also
restores funding for the Section 510 Abstinence
Education grants that expired in 2009. State agencies
that receive these grants—which total $50 million
annually through fiscal year 2014—may use funds
for abstinence education, mentoring, counseling or
adult-supervised activities. States are encouraged to use
evidence-based programs and must address each point
in the eight-point definition of abstinence education;
however, each state may determine how much emphasis to place on each point. Title V funds require a 43
percent state match. California is the only state that
has never accepted Title V funding; the state did not
apply for this round of funding.
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. Proposed
in President Obama’s FY 2010 budget and included in
the FY 2010 appropriations bill, this program provided more than $100 million for competitive grants
in FY 2010. The Office of Adolescent Health (OAH)
awarded 75 Tier I grants, totaling $75 million, for
programs that replicate teen pregnancy prevention
programs that have proven effective. Seven agencies
and organizations in California received Tier I grants
totaling nearly $6 million. OAH also awarded $25
Digging Deeper: Additional Resources on Teen Pregnancy Prevention
California’s approach has resulted in a significant
decline in teen pregnancies and births in the state.
Sustaining these results over time, however, will be a
challenge in California and elsewhere, as states grapple
with budgets and fewer funds for prevention programs.
The fiscal effects are already being felt in teen pregnancy prevention programs in California; in 2011,
significant state budget cuts suspended funding for
Cal-Learn and eliminated the Community Challenge
Grant program. The state also increased educational
agencies’ flexibility with regard to use of Cal-SAFE
funds, which may mean that services for teen parents
are not a top priority. However, federal funding for
evidence-based programs provides new opportunities
for states to adopt programs that have worked in other
states and communities.
Table 2 summarizes some of the resources identified
in this brief and provides links to national and state
resources related to teen pregnancy prevention policy,
funding and program evaluations.
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Table 2. Additional Web-Based Resources on Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Topic
Resource(s)
State Teenage Pregnancy
Prevention Laws
•
NCSL maintains state legislative databases on insurance
coverage for contraception, emergency contraception, sexual
health education and other related topics.
http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabID=160&ta
bs=832,91,274#274
Federal Funding and
Resources
•
The Federal Office of Adolescent Health provides and
maintains information on funding opportunities
Teen Pregnancy Prevention and PREP grants
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-Title V
Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Resources and
Reports on Teenage
Pregnancy
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California Resources on
Teen Pregnancy
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NCSL resources on Teen Pregnancy Prevention
http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?TabId=23141
ETR Associates Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health
Promotion
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned
Pregnancy
Center for Research on Adolescent Health and Development at
the Public Health Institute
Adolescent Sexuality and Reproductive Health at the Bixby
Center for Global Reproductive Health
The California Wellness Foundation
National Conference of State Legislatures
Notes
1. Brady Hamilton, Joyce A. Martin, and Stephanie J. Ventura, “Births: Preliminary Data for 2009,”
National Vital Statistic Reports 59, no. 3 (Dec. 21,
2010).
2. California Department of Public Health, “California’s Teen Births Continue Decline” (Sacramento,
Calif.: CDPH, 2011); http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/
NR11-008.aspx.
3. Norman Constantine, Carmen Rita Nevarez,
and Petra Jerman, No Time for Complacency: Teen
Births in California (Berkeley, Calif.: Public Health
Institute, 2008).
4. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and
Unplanned Pregnancy, Counting It Up: The Public
Costs of Teen Childbearing (Washington, D.C.: National Campaign, 2011); http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/costs.
5. California Department of Public Health, “California’s Teen Births Continue Decline.”
6. Brady Hamilton, Joyce A. Martin, and Stephanie J. Ventura, “Births: Preliminary Data for 2009.”
7. California Department of Public Health, “Information and Education Program: Program Overview” (Sacramento, Calif.: CDPH, 2008); http://
www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/tpp/Documents/MOTPP-FactSheetIE.pdf.
8. California Department of Public Health, “SB
87, Chapter 33 Budget Act Highlights: Fiscal Year
2011-12 California Department of Public Health”
(Sacramento, Calif.: CDPH, 2011); http://www.
cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/fiscalrep/Documents/Final2011-12-Budget-Act-SB87-Ch33.pdf.
9. California Department of Public Health, “California’s Teen Births Continue Decline.”
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