Births to Teens
Cape Girardeau Community Caring Council
Core Result: Children succeeding in school
Benchmark: Births to Teens, ages 15 – 19 (per 1,000)
February 2002
Objective
To decrease the rate (per 1,000) of births to teens, ages 15-19 in Cape Girardeau County from 31.5 (per 1,000) in 1999 to 28 (per 1,000) by 2003.
Strategies
The Community Caring Council has many members and staff who participate in the Teen Pregnancy Responsibility Network (TPRN). This is a long-standing network in Cape Girardeau County that provides abstinence education to youth. The purpose of TPRN is to educate the community about the problem of teen pregnancy and to educate the youth, both males and females, about responsibility. Projects undertaken by TPRN include school assembly programs, resource lending library, community awareness, speakers, and implementation of the Postponing Sexual Involvement Program in all of the area middle schools.
Caring Communities partners with the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center to employ a full time Community Health Coordinator (CHC). The CHC provides educational programs on a wide variety of health topics. Two years ago the Cape Public Schools saw the need for more abstinence education to be taught in the schools, however, they did not have the staff to implement the curriculum. Caring Communities, the County Health Center and Cape Public Schools collaborated so that the school would purchase the curriculum, with the CHC implementing the curriculum. The curriculum used is Sex Can Wait and it is currently being taught in each 6th grade classroom in Cape Girardeau. The CHC also teaches educational programs on puberty and hygiene for the 4th and 5th grade classes.
Caring Communities partners with the Girl Scouts, Cape Public Schools and the Parent and Child Together Program to implement after school boys and girls groups. These groups teach responsibility, self-esteem and social skills. Each year a speaker is invited to speak to the groups on abstinence and the importance of setting goals for the future.
Results
Funding/Return on Investment
Caring Communities Leverages $2.50 for every Caring Communities Dollar Received to Reduce Teen Pregnancy.
Noteworthy In 1995, Cape Girardeau County ranked 23rd out of 115 counties in the teen pregnancy rate, according to Kids Count Missouri. By 1999, we improved to 13th of 115 counties!
