[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 135 (Wednesday, October 10, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10458-S10459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CONRAD (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, and Mr. Domenici):
  S. 1522. A bill to support community-based group homes for young 
mothers and their children; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senators 
Lieberman and Domenici in introducing the Second Chance Homes Promotion 
Act. This legislation would provide needed resources to expand and 
improve the availability of community-based, adult-supervised group 
homes for unmarried teenage mothers and their babies.
  Although rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States have dropped 
in recent years, they remain higher than most industrialized nations. 
Today, four in 10 young women become pregnant at least once before 
entering adulthood. Teenage parents are less likely to graduate from 
school and more likely to end up on public assistance than other 
adolescents. Also, children born to teenage mothers tend to fare more 
poorly in school, are less likely to receive needed health care 
services, and are at greater risk for abuse and neglect. ``Second 
Chance Homes'' help improve this situation by providing teen parents 
with a safe, nurturing environment where they can receive guidance in 
parenting, child development, budgeting, health and nutrition.
  The welfare reform legislation enacted in 1996 requires that minor 
teens live with an adult in order to receive welfare benefits. During 
debate on this legislation, I worked with Senator Lieberman and others 
to allow second chance homes to qualify as an alternative residence for 
teenage parents who may be at risk for abuse, neglect or other serious 
problems in their home. Since this time, we have learned that teenagers 
who were provided the opportunity to live in second chance homes are 
more likely to continue their education or receive job training, less 
likely to have a second teenage pregnancy, and more likely to find 
gainful employment that allows them to leave the welfare rolls. I 
strongly believe these are promising results.
  Unfortunately, not all teenage parents who might benefit from second 
chance homes have access to these residences. Today, there are 
approximately 100 second chance homes nationwide, located in only six 
States. This legislation would provide resources for improving the 
homes that already exist and creating additional homes where none 
exist, particularly in tribal and rural communities where there may be 
fewer options for teenage parents and their babies to receive the 
assistance they need. Finally, this legislation would provide resources 
that can be used to conduct further evaluations on the quality and 
effectiveness of second chance homes. It is my hope others will join us 
in supporting this important effort.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to join Senators Conrad 
and Domenici to introduce the Second Chance Homes Promotion Act of 
2001. This legislation will promote the expansion of Second Chance 
Homes for parenting teenagers and provide needed resources for this 
innovative and accomplished program.
  The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy and births 
in the Western industrialized world. This costs the country at least $7 
billion annually. Four in 10 young women become pregnant at least once 
before they reach the age of 20, nearly one million a year. Teen 
mothers are less likely to complete high school, and more likely to end 
up on welfare. The children of teenage mothers have lower birth 
weights, are more likely to perform poorly in school, and are at 
greater risk of abuse and neglect. But we know we can do something 
about this. Second Chance Homes are an essential tool to improve the 
life chances of these teenagers.
  In the 1996 welfare reform legislation, I worked to develop the 
concept of Second Chance Homes as an alternative for minor teen parents 
required by that law to live at home or under adult supervision. 
Welfare reform required states to provide or assist teen mothers in 
locating a second chance home, maternity home, or other supportive 
living arrangement if they cannot live at home because of abuse, 
neglect or other reasons.
  Since 1996, these homes have produced notable and promising results: 
fewer second pregnancies, slightly higher adoption rates, less child 
abuse, better maternal and child health, dramatically increased school 
completion rates, higher employment rates, reduced welfare dependency. 
Clearly these are successes we want to replicate.
  Currently only six States have networks of Second Chance Homes. This 
bill will provide resources to expand the number of Second Chance Homes 
across the country to continue these encouraging trends and assist 
these young mothers to the brightest future they can have.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I am pleased to cosponsor legislation 
with Senators Lieberman and Conrad that will help to address a very 
serious problem facing our Nation. The rise of teenage pregnancy has 
many implications for American society in terms of educational and 
employment opportunities, economic self-sufficiency, children's health, 
and child abuse and crime prevention. For example, many teenage mothers 
find that their educational and vocational opportunities are severely 
limited. In fact, only one-third of teenage mothers complete high 
school and receive their diploma. Furthermore, teenage pregnancy has 
been linked with increases in child abuse and criminal activity. But, 
perhaps most disturbing is the fact that daughters of teenage mothers 
are 22 percent more likely to become teenage mothers themselves, thus 
creating a self-perpetuating cycle from generation to generation.
  It is clear that these problems will only continue unless we address 
the issue of teenage pregnancy. This is an especially critical issue, 
because the United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in 
the western industrialized world. I believe that this legislation will 
help to address these concerns. One of the ideas endorsed by Congress 
in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act 
of 1996 was the concept of second chance homes. Second chance homes are 
an option for many teenage mothers who are required by the 1996 act to 
live at home or under adult supervision. These homes provide both 
living arrangements and educational opportunities for young mothers.
  Second chance homes have been remarkably successful in decreasing 
both second pregnancies and child abuse and in improving the 
educational and vocational opportunities of teenage mothers. For 
example, New Mexico's second chances homes have produced many success 
stories with several residents earning a registered nurse degree. It is 
truly inspiring to think that many

[[Page S10459]]

teenagers who had the odds stacked against them have been given a 
second chance and have become vital members of the health care 
profession.
  Despite the successes of second chance homes, many teenage mothers do 
not have access to such a home. Although New Mexico has over a hundred 
second chance homes, many States are not so fortunate. Furthermore, 
according to a 1999 study, eighteen States do not have a policy for 
helping mothers find such a shelter. This is the genesis behind our 
legislation. We hope to increase the availability of second chance 
homes and allow a greater number of teenage mothers to take advantage 
of the many opportunities that they provide. This bill will create a 
competitive grant program within the Department of Health and Human 
Services that will award five-year grants to State, local, and tribal 
governments and to non-profit organizations to create or expand a 
second-chance home. I am hopeful that this significant federal 
investment will allow a greater number of teenage mothers to graduate 
from high school, and even college or vocational training, and will 
increase the health and safety of their children.
  Second chance homes have a remarkable record in alleviating many of 
the problems associated with teenage pregnancy. From education to 
maternal and infant health, they have played a crucial role in the 
success of welfare reform. I thank Senators Lieberman and Conrad for 
their work on this important legislation, and I look forward to all 
teenage mothers having a true second chance.
                                 ______