California Young Parents Day

Amidst Funding Cuts for Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Diana Heinrich, dheinrich@teensuccess.org, 408-263-8330 ext. 109
 
MILPITAS, CA – August 25, 2017 marks the first annual California Young Parents Day, a day recognizing the dignity and respect young parents in California deserve amidst a downturn in government support for teen pregnancy prevention program funding.
 
In 2016, the California Latinas for Reproductive Justice (CLRJ) resolution ACR 2017 passed the California Legislature establishing August 25th as California Young Parents Day. New Mexico led the way in 2012, recognizing the value young families bring to their communities with the first ever “New Mexico Day in Recognition of Young Parents.”

“All youth - pregnant, parenting, or not - deserve dignity and respect and to have access to vital resources needed to reach their full potential,” says CLRJ, although the resources and education teens, teachers, parents and community organizations rely on may soon be disappearing.
 
In July, federal funding for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs (TPPP) and research was cut by $213.6 million and future funding for TPPP may go altogether. Per the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, in 2010 teenage pregnancy costs California taxpayers $956 million for healthcare, foster care and incarceration among children of teen parents, and lost tax revenue because of lower educational attainment and income among teen mothers. However, a 57% decline in teen births between 1991 and 2010 saved California taxpayers an estimated $1.8 billion in teen pregnancy related costs.
 
 “This change in federal government funding of proven teen pregnancy prevention programs greatly concerns us because they have contributed significantly to the decline in teen pregnancy rates across the country and in California,” says Karin Kelley-Torregroza, Executive Director of Teen Success, Inc. “We do not want to see this trend reversed.”
 
Teen Success, Inc. is proud to celebrate all young mothers and their children on California Young Parents Day. We believe having a baby as a teen is not a permanent barrier to success and with the right combination of information, skills, opportunities and support teen mothers can make better lives for their young families.
 
About Teen Success, Inc.
The mission of Teen Success, Inc. is to help underserved teen mothers and their children become educated, self-sufficient, valued members of society. Learn more about Teen Success, Inc. at www.teensuccess.org.