[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 17, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H3548-H3550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING SUCCESSFUL TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAMS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, the current debate on welfare reform is 
accelerating the need to address the issue of out-of-wedlock teen 
births.
  We want to ``end welfare as we know it.'' But, I am afraid we will 
replace it with welfare as we do not want to know it.
  We do not want to enact legislation that leads to a policy of 
national child abandonment.
  Our current social crisis evolved over several generations. 
Consequently, we must realize that we cannot break this 
intergenerational cycle or eliminate the crisis overnight.
  To break the cycle of teen pregnancy and poverty, we must implement 
pregnancy prevention programs that educate and support school age 
youths--10-21--in high risk situations and their family members through 
comprehensive social and health services, with an emphasis on pregnancy 
prevention.
  I strongly support abstinence education and feel that it is 
critically important to fund abstinence programs for preteens as well 
as teenagers. Within 5 years, a concentrated abstinence program for 
preteens should bring about a decline in the number of teenagers who 
are sexually active.
  However, we cannot ignore the fact that today so many of our 
teenagers are already sexually active with or

[[Page H3549]]

without our permission. It is therefore imperative that we also provide 
funding for contraceptive prevention programs for them.
  This evening, I wish to recognize a program in my district that 
exemplifies the kind of comprehensive social and health services that 
high risk teenagers need.
  For over 13 years, the Division of Adolescent Health Services of 
Greene County has developed and implemented programs to help teenagers 
meet and successfully avoid the pitfalls of juvenile delinquency, child 
abuse, school drop outs, and teen pregnancy. In the past 2 years the 
program has expanded its services to include primary health care to 
improve health status of teenagers and to influence healthier behavior 
and lifestyles. A certified physician's assistant furnishes on-site 
treatment of acute illnesses, minor injuries, and developmental 
screenings as well as age-appropriate health education such as 
nutrition, diet, and personal hygiene.
  In addition, early intervention is provided for sexually active teens 
and teens with alcohol and substance abuse problems.
  Other on-site services include: individual counseling, mental health 
prevention, first aid and family life classes--along with an array of 
other health and social services.
  Off-site referrals are made for family planning with a tracking 
system to assure follow-up.
  The program was started to provide a foundation of support for young 
teens as they encounter life's changes.
  One of the strongest components in this foundation is the TAP Club--
Teens Against Pregnancy. Membership is open to all girls in grades 9-
12, with membership dues of $5 per year.
  Another key component is the Teen Advisory Board. Adults do not view 
the world from a teenage perspective, therefore, they may not always 
know what is best for teens. Realizing this, the Green County Program 
established a Teen Advisory Board in 1985.
  Ms. Helen Hill serves as the director of the Division of Adolescent 
Health Services of Greene County. From the beginning, she has been a 
guiding force through both the planning stage, and the implementation 
stages, and for over 13 years has successfully run the program that is 
known throughout North Carolina as the original school-based health 
model. It is also known as a program that truly works.
  She not only has improved the quality of life and enhanced the 
opportunities of the county's teenagers but her efforts have meant a 
better quality of life for all Greene County's citizens. At the same 
time she has saved county, State, and Federal Government funds. She has 
saved the taxpayers money. Ms. Helen deserves our applause.
  True welfare reform should end the need for monetary benefits if it 
eliminates programs and funding. A small percentage of the total 
funding currently paid to teen parents should be earmarked for 
contraceptive prevention programs. Every dollar spent on contraceptive 
prevention will be multiplied many times over in the Federal tax 
dollars that will be saved by preventing teen pregnancy.
  The Division of Adolescent Health Services of Greene County is a 
shining example of what we can do.
  Mr. Speaker, this is truly an outstanding program and I recommend it 
for all my colleagues.
  Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, each year more than one million teenage 
girls become pregnant. Four out of 10 will become pregnant before the 
age of 20 with half of them giving birth and very few marrying the 
father. These numbers pose a serious problem not only to the young 
parents and the child, but to the larger community as well.
  There are a number of programs working to assist young mothers and 
their children, including financial assistance and child care. These 
are important programs and we must continue to improve them. What we 
must also do is begin to more adequately address the issue of how to 
keep teenagers from becoming pregnant. As the old saying goes, ``An 
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'' While we will never 
erase teen pregnancy completely, it is essential to create successful 
prevention programs.
  In an environment of shrinking Federal Government involvement, State 
and local governments must begin to work in conjunction with their 
communities to provide the programs necessary to assist young teens in 
making responsible life choices. In response to this trend, the 
Progressive Policy Institute in cooperation with the Democratic 
Leadership Council has developed a seven part framework to help 
communities and local governments better understand the problem and 
begin to solve it. While this framework does not have all the answers, 
it provides a basic format on which to build successful programs 
catering to the needs of a particular locale.
  The seven strategies are 1. Build state and local coalitions 2. 
Launch a sustained campaign to change attitudes. 3. Second chance homes 
for teen mothers. 4. Hold fathers accountable, and value their 
contributions to their children. 5. Crack down on sexual predators. 6. 
Reform foster care and adoption laws. 7. Create opportunities and 
incentives for young people at risk of becoming parents too soon.
  Local communities can play a vital role in the actions and attitudes 
of young teens. Support from schools, churches, and civic organizations 
can offer both assistance and alternatives to teens. Each community 
must decide where to focus its attention; whether through education, 
offering part-time jobs, more after school activities, or mentoring 
programs. A number of communities already have resources in place, such 
as the Boys and Girls Club or 4-H. We need to draw from those 
resources, learn from them, and make them more effective.
  I know that if all levels of government, various organizations, 
communities, and the public at large pull together, we can begin to 
address this important issue. Parenthood is an exceptionally important 
responsibility and we must prevent or delay that responsibility until 
teens are mature enough to accept it and the wonders that accompany it.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my 
colleagues in celebrating the efforts of communities across the country 
in fighting teen pregnancy. At a time when we are constantly bombarded 
with dismal statistics on teenage births, it is particularly important 
to recognize those individuals who have stopped talking about teen 
pregnancy prevention and have committed to action. The Latino Peer 
Council in my State of Rhode Island is a shining example of this 
commitment to action. Together, these young men and women are reaching 
out to the students who will follow in their footsteps in striving for 
better, brighter futures.
  The Latino Peer Council was initiated in the summer of 1994 as the 
State was facing the highest teen birthrate in the Northeast. With 
teenage pregnancies particularly prevalent within the Latino- and 
African-American communities in Rhode Island, the Latino Council was 
developed to focus upon the specific needs of Hispanic families. The 
council is comprised of eight high school students who are trained by 
community educators to inform and educate their peers, teachers, and 
parents on teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, safe 
sex, birth control, relationships and abstinence.
  Using humorous skits and lively discussions, the peer educators have 
effectively touched their fellow youths in the community. Through their 
leadership, they set an example not only to Latino teenagers but all 
young adults from every ethnic and racial background. At the same time, 
these students are cultivating leadership skills that will carry them 
throughout school, their careers and their lives. The Peer Educators 
build their confidence and develop a strong sense of self while 
engaging in public speaking and community education.
  The Latino Peer Council is effective because of its innovative 
approach to tackling unplanned pregnancy. Shunning antique methods of 
teaching sexual health and awareness, the council presents teens as 
competent, responsible, intelligent leaders that share similar 
experiences with those whom they are educating. Teens are communicating 
with other teens about the issues and concerns that they face growing 
up in today's world. In this Congress we have heard a lot 
about ``personal responsibility.'' I am proud to recognize today a 
group of teenagers talking, educating and taking responsibility not 
only for themselves, but for an entire generation.

  Efforts like those of the peer educators are essential to building 
bridges between youngsters and adults that will ensure that the next 
generation is successful both personally and professionally. Keeping 
the lines of communication open between teens and adults is crucial to 
effective pregnancy prevention and family planning. If adults and teens 
can share, communicate and most importantly, understand one another, 
half of the battle has been

[[Page H3550]]

won. I am proud of the Latino Peer Council for rising to the occasion. 
I urge other communities to start listening to their young people and 
working with them to put an end to teen pregnancy.
  I would also like to salute the teen pregnancy prevention initiatives 
of Thundermist Health Clinic in Woonsocket, RI. Services like the 
Health Hut that provides family planning services to pre-teens at 
Woonsocket Middle School to the Mentoring Program that coaches and 
guides young mothers not to repeat their mistakes, are strengthening 
families and the greater community.
  I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for highlighting 
this important issue and for providing us the opportunity to focus on 
the strengths of our youngsters--an area that receives too little 
attention.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, members on both sides of the aisle and on 
both sides of the choice issue agree that we must reduce teenage 
pregnancy. Its costs are enormous; it is costly to the Government, 
costly to the futures of the young mothers, and costly to our society. 
It is clear that reducing teenage pregnancy will only be successful 
when parents, educators, community leaders, the business community and 
Congress make a serious commitment and become involved.
  Costs associated with teenage pregnancy drain limited Federal, State 
and local resources. Each year, more than one million American teenage 
girls become pregnant. The teenage pregnancy rate for women under 20 
has increased by more than 20 percent since 1970. Teenage mothers are 
more likely to be uneducated, unskilled and unmarried. Their children 
are at higher risk for prematurity, low-birth weight and birth defects.
  Women who bear children outside of marriage and meet income 
requirements are eligible for AFDC benefits, food stamps, Medicaid, 
housing assistance and other benefits, and teenage mothers are 
particularly likely to need these benefits.
  And what about the costs to the teenagers themselves? The 
opportunities forgone to teens who become pregnant are enormous. 
Certainly many career paths become nearly impossible for a teenage 
mother to attain. High school graduation becomes less important that 
the children's daily needs; teenage mothers have a 60 percent chance of 
graduating from high school by age 25, compared to 90 percent of those 
who postpone childbearing. The economic situation of most teenage 
mothers is such that most find themselves limited to low-income 
neighborhoods that are less likely to have good schools, safe drug-free 
streets and positive role models. And we know that teenage mothers are 
the most likely to the single parents and have an especially difficult 
time collecting child support.
  Teenage pregnancy is costly to society in terms of lost productivity 
and in terms of the cycle of dependency that is passed on from 
generation to generation. Teens from poorer families are more likely to 
initiate sexual intercourse at a younger age and less likely to use 
contraception.
  What should we do? It is clear to me that Congress does not have all 
of the answers, and cannot provide help where it is needed most: at 
home and in the community.
  One example of effective community involvement is Best Friends, an 
organization designed to reduce teenage pregnancy. I have met with 
Elayne Bennett, the founder of the Best Friends, and she shared many 
encouraging stories with me. In 29 public schools across the country, 
including schools in Montgomery County, MD, the Best Friends Program 
has been a wonderful success. Of the 600 Washington girls who have 
participate for 2 years or more, 1.1 percent, have become pregnant, as 
opposed to the 25 percent citywide rate for girls 13 to 18. The Best 
Friends Program is not a quick fix. It works because its mentors make a 
long-term investment in junior high and high school girls, taking them 
on outings, teaching them new skills, and going to weekly classes with 
them. The Best Friends Program builds teenage girls' self-confidence 
and teaches them that there are other options.

  The Federal Government does, however, have an important role to play 
in the area of education, girls' sports, and community activities. 
These things all play an important role in reducing teenage pregnancy 
because they build self-esteem and present young girls with options for 
the future, making them much more likely to avoid teen pregnancy.
  We have spent a significant amount of time this Congress debating 
welfare reform--deciding how limited resources should be used and how 
to most effectively move AFDC recipients from welfare to work. Reducing 
teen pregnancy must be part of the solution, and indeed, it has been a 
part of the debate--but few constructive solutions have emerged. Some 
Members advocate a family cap, a provision to deny benefits to welfare 
recipients who have additional children while on welfare.
  Despite the heated debate over illegitimacy that we have heard in the 
context of welfare reform, answering the question of whether the 
welfare system increases nonmarital childbearing is very difficult. 
Some studies have shown that welfare has no effect on nonmarital 
childbearing while others have shown significant effects. Whether or 
not Government benefits actually lead to an increase in teen 
pregnancies, we do know that the teenage pregnancies that occur--for 
whatever the reason--are very expensive. While curbing teen pregnancy 
certainly needs to be addressed in the context of welfare reform, these 
punitive solutions are not the answer. Mr. Speaker, we have not spent 
enough time developing real solutions to reducing teenage pregnancy--
solutions that involve prevention strategies, education and self-esteem 
building, community partnerships, and family planning.
  We must also improve and increase efforts at the Federal level to 
prevent teenage pregnancy. There are very few Federal programs to 
reduce teenage pregnancy, and they are not comprehensive. Fully funding 
the title X Family Planning Program is one of the most direct ways that 
Congress can help prevent unintended pregnancies; publicly subsidized 
family planning services prevent an estimated 1.2 million unintended 
pregnancies annually in the United States. Title X, however, directs 
its dollars to critical health services for women of all ages, and only 
20 percent goes toward adolescents. Although title X was threatened 
during the fiscal year 1996 appropriations process, a majority of 
Members recognized how important it is. No title X funds can be used 
for abortion services; clinics have always been prohibited from using 
title X funds for abortions. What title X does do is provide quality 
health care for low-income women--including teenagers--who are at risk 
of becoming pregnant. The Centers for Disease Control also has small 
grant to implement 13 community projects to examine ways to reduce 
teenage pregnancies, but its effects have been limited due to its size. 
The Adolescent and Family Life Act provides a small grant that goes 
toward care and parenting for adolescent mothers and adoption 
assistance, but most of the money goes toward an abstinence-only 
education. These programs help, but clearly they are not enough.

  Adolescent pregnancy prevention is not only about family planning. We 
must examine the reasons teenage girls become pregnant. What is it 
about our society that makes teenage girls think that to be loved, they 
must have a child of their own? Why do so many girls think that no 
opportunities worth waiting to have children will be available to them? 
Surely we can do better. Educational opportunities build self-esteem, 
as do girls' sports and community activities. Improving our education 
system, building our communities, increasing job opportunities, and 
giving young girls something to look forward to all will reduce teen 
pregnancy.
  We all share the responsibility for preventing teen pregnancies. 
Parents, communities, religious organizations, State and local 
governments all have an important role to play, and many are making 
important progress toward reducing teen pregnancies.
  Each year in Maryland over 8,500 adolescents give birth. I applaud 
the work done by the Governor's Council on Adolescent Pregnancy to 
combat this problem. The council promotes the reduction of unplanned 
adolescent pregnancies through strategies carried out in collaboration 
with state and local agencies and private and no profit groups. A 
sustained media campaign, including television, radio, and print media 
has been an integral part of efforts to raise awareness about 
adolescent pregnancy. Maryland has also developed programs to help teen 
parents prevent further early childbearing and programs to help teenage 
parents learn parenting skills and continue their education. It is 
important that we don't only focus on prevention, but focus on helping 
teenage parents improve their lives.
  I applaud the efforts of the bipartisan National Campaign To Reduce 
Teenage Pregnancy, and I hope their recommendations provide new ideas 
and energy. I look forward to a hearing at the end of the month on 
teenage pregnancy in the Government Reform and Oversight's Human 
Resources Subcommittee
  This is only the beginning of a dialog between the Congress, our 
communities, state and local governments and educators about how to 
reduce teen pregnancy. We know that providing teens with a solid 
education, teaching them how to avoid pregnancy and giving them hope 
for the future works. Now we must work together to achieve these goals.

                          ____________________