WHY IT MATTERS…PART 2

DISCLAIMER

The following statements are based on statistical data and are not intended to single out a particular person. EVERY person will not end up this way and some people will be the exception.

WHY IT MATTERS…

• The following information is contained in reports published by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

www.teenpregnancy.org

THE COSTS of TEEN CHILDBEARING

In 2008, teen childbearing in the United States cost taxpayers at least $10.9

billion. The average annual public sector cost associated with a child born to a

mother aged 17 and younger is $4,080.

• In 2008, teen childbearing (19 and younger) in Nebraska cost taxpayers (federal, state and local) at least $60 million.

• These costs included:- $13 million for public health costs (Medicaid and CHIP)

– $20 million for child welfare– $11 million for incarceration– $16 million in lost tax revenue due to decreased

earnings

• The teen birth rate has decreased by 14% in Nebraska between 1991 and 2008, saving taxpayers an estimated $18 million in 2008 alone.

HEADLINES…….

• Teenagers having babies cost Lancaster County taxpayers $6.3 million in 2004

• State Medicaid pays for 47% of births in Nebraska in 2008– Percent paid by Medicaid increased from

35.8% in 2002 to 44.2% in 2007 to 47% in 2008. (Lincoln Journal - 2/12/2010)

TEEN PREGNANCY, POVERTY and INCOME

DISPARITY• What are the chances of a child growing up in

poverty if: (1) the mother gave birth as a teen, (2) the parents were unmarried when the child was born, and (3) the mother did not receive a high school diploma or GED?

2011 Poverty Guidelines: 1 person = $10,890; 2 persons = $14,710; 3 persons = $18,530; 4 persons = $22,350

To qualify for Medicaid, a person can have a monthly income at 185% of poverty = $2,268 for a family of 2.

• 27% if one of these things happen

• 42% if two of these things happen

• 64% if three of these things happen

• Only 7% if none of these things happen

Put another way, if these three things happen, a child’s chance of growing up in poverty is 9 times greater than if none of these things happen.

• The chances of a child growing up in poverty greatly increase if: (1) the mother gave birth as a teen, (2) the parents were unmarried when the child was born, and (3) the mother did not receive a high school diploma or GED.

HARD WORK NO LONGER ENOUGH!MAY 21, 2009 JOURNAL STAR ARTICLE

To meet basic family needs, a household of 2 adults, a preschooler and a school-age child needs:

$32,817 in rural areas (Fairbury, York)

$36,897 in urban areas (Beatrice, GI)

$40,597 in metropolitan areas (Lincoln, Omaha)

HARD WORK NO LONGER ENOUGH!MAY 21, 2009 JOURNAL STAR ARTICLE

To meet basic family needs, a household of a single parent, a preschooler and a school-age child needs:

$24,135 in rural areas (Fairbury, York)

$27,320 in urban areas (Beatrice, GI)

$32,411 in metropolitan areas (Lincoln, Omaha)

HARD WORK NO LONGER ENOUGH!MAY 21, 2009 JOURNAL STAR ARTICLE

To meet basic family needs, a household of a single parent, a preschooler and a school-age child needs:

$24,135 = 71 hr/week in rural areas (Fairbury, York)

$27,320 = 80.2 hr/week in urban areas (Beatrice, GI)

$32,411= 95 hr/week in metropolitan areas (Lincoln, Omaha)

TEEN PREGNANCY and RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD

• Involved and committed fathers are important to the well-being of their children. Unfortunately, children born to teen parents are often denied a close connection with their father because the relationship between their parents frequently dissolves over time.

• Boys and girls without involved fathers are twice as likely to drop out of school, twice as likely to abuse alcohol or drugs, twice as likely to end up in jail, and two to three times more likely to need help for emotional or behavioral problems.

• Teen boys who live with both parents initiate sex at an older age compared to teen boys in other family situations.

• Eight of ten teen fathers do not marry the mothers of their first children.

• These absent fathers pay less than $800 annually for child support, often because they are quite poor themselves.

• Some research suggests that teen fathers have lower education levels and suffer earning loses of 10-15% annually.

TEEN PREGNANCY and OVERALL CHILD WELL-

BEING

The children of teen mothers bear the greatest burden of teen pregnancy and childbearing, and are at significantly increased risk for a number of economic, social and health problems.

•The children of teen parents suffer higher rates of abuse and neglect (2 times more likely) than would occur if their mothers had delayed childbearing.

•The sons of teen mothers are two times more likely to end up in prison than the sons of mothers aged 20-21.

•The daughters of teen mothers are three times more likely to become teen mothers themselves when compared to mothers who had a child at age 20-21.

•Children of older mothers are more prepared to enter school and score higher on measures of school readiness compared to the children of teen mothers.

TEEN PREGNANCY, SUBSTANCE USE, and other

RISKY BEHAVIOR

Teens 15 and older who use drugs are more likely to be sexually experienced than are those teens who do not use drugs - 72% of teens who use drugs have had sex, compared to 36% who have never used drugs.

•Boys who start drinking or smoking at a young age are 40% more likely to start having sex at a young age when compared to boys who refrain from such activities.

•Prior use of alcohol and/or cigarettes increases the risk of early sexual experience by 80% in girls.

TEEN PREGNANCY and OTHER HEALTH ISSUES

The children of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely and at low birth weight compared to children of older mothers. This puts newborns at greater risk of infant death, respiratory distress syndrome, bleeding in the brain, vision loss, and serious intestinal problems.

•Compared to older pregnant women, pregnant teens are far less likely to receive timely and consistent prenatal care.

•Approximately 72% of teen births in the US are financed by Medicaid.

TEEN PREGNANCY and EDUCATION

Given the increasing demands in schooling necessary to qualify for a well paying job, it is more important than ever for teens to finish high school and attain post secondary education when possible.

•Parenthood is the leading cause of school drop out among teen girls.

•Teens who are more involved in their school are less likely than their peers to get pregnant.

•40% of mothers who have a child before they turn 18 ever graduated from high school.

TEEN PREGNANCY and CHILD WELFARE

Teens in foster care, many of whom suffered abuse and neglect before leaving their homes, are more likely to get pregnant than teens not in the foster care system. Children born to adolescent parents are more likely than children born to older mothers to enter the foster care system.

•Teen girls in foster care are two and a half times more likely than their peers not in foster care to experience pregnancy by age 19.

•Not only are adolescents in foster care more likely to become parents in their teen years, children born to teen parents are more likely to end up in foster care or have multiple caretakers throughout their childhood.

•Teen mothers aged 18-19 are about one-third more likely to have a child placed in foster care when compared to mothers who had their first child at age 20-21.

•They are almost 40% more likely to have a reported case of abuse or neglect than children born to mothers aged 20-21.

TEEN PREGNANCY and VIOLENCE

Adverse childhood experiences such as physical abuse, verbal abuse, and witnessing intimate partner violence are linked with having sex at an early age.

• Girls who experienced frequent verbal or physical abuse during childhood were almost three times more likely than those who rarely experienced verbal of physical abuse during childhood to have had sex before the age of 15.

• Girls in high school who reported experiencing dating violence were four to six times more likely to have ever been pregnant than peers who had not experienced dating violence.

• Girls who report that their mother was often hit during their childhood were two and a half times more likely than those who report that their mother was rarely or never hit during childhood to have had sex before age 15.

As we have said before,