Best Practices & Results

Family Connection Works to Lower Teen Births in Georgia

by Naja Williamson
Senior Writer

In Georgia and in the nation, the teen pregnancy and birth rates have fallen. Yet recent KIDS COUNT data show that Georgia statistics consistently remain above the national average. In 1990, the national teen birth rate — births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 17 — was 37, and in Georgia it was 50. In 2000 the numbers were 27 and 36 respectively.

According to 2002 data, the teen pregnancy rate for 15- to 17-year-old girls in Georgia was 42 per 1,000, as compared to 64 per 1,000 in 1995. Georgia counties reporting the highest rates of teen pregnancy tend to be smaller, rural and characterized by persistent poverty.

What Causes and Influences It?

Teen pregnancy is a complex issue and has no single cause or cure. Teen pregnancy is not just a problem for girls, nor is it just about sex. It is a result of youth taking risks in their lives. Chances of teen pregnancy — and teen sexual activity — can be reduced by providing youth with the assets that help them develop resilience and make healthy and responsible choices for themselves.

Poverty and its related effects are clearly connected with teen pregnancy. Poor teens are more likely to get pregnant and have children. Teens that birth children are more likely to be poor. Poverty then can be both the cause and the consequence of teen pregnancy and childbearing. Teen pregnancy also can be linked to community poverty because it reduces employment and career opportunity, which in turn reduces teens' motivation to pursue education and jobs and avoid early childbearing.

What Is Family Connection Doing?

Not every intervention to prevent teen pregnancy is effective. For maximum impact, Georgia should invest its tax dollars in programs shown to be effective through rigorous evaluation. "Fixing" this issue is complicated, challenging, and costly. What is required is a multifaceted, comprehensive approach that creates an environment where young people have hope, see possibilities, and feel compassion.

Many Family Connection county collaboratives are working to reduce the teen pregnancy rate and the percentage of repeat births to teen mothers. Community strategic plans for the 159 counties in Georgia show collaboratives are targeting two related benchmarks or indicators by implementing a wide array of strategies, programs and activities designed to reduce this rate.

Family Connection counties support a comprehensive approach that includes programs that increase protective factors and give youth the skills and resources to make responsible decisions. Strategies range from investing in early childhood education to mentoring, academic support, and leadership development for youth; from pregnancy prevention education to home visitation for teen moms; and providing a caring, supportive adult in each child's life.

According to 2003 KIDS COUNT data, trends in indicators for teenage pregnancy rates show either slight improvements or a holding pattern. For example, the pregnancy rate per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 17 decreased from 63.7 in 1995 to 44.0 in 2001. The percentage of teen mothers giving birth to another child before age 20 remained constant — 22.7 in 1995 and 22.0 in 2001.

The number of Family Connection collaboratives working on reducing teen pregnancy rates is growing. Currently 103 collaboratives address teen pregnancy among school girls ages 15 to 17, and 62 address repeat births to teen mothers before age 20. With an increase in attention, the teen pregnancy rates are consistently decreasing over time.