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High schools around the country are seeing an increasing number of students become pregnant. In Los Angeles County, 40 out of every 1,000 adolescent girls ages 15-19 become pregnant. In order to reduce the occurrence of teenage pregnancy in LA County, NHF is working to target the most at-risk populations for participation in the Harold Cares about Your Future: Pregnant Teen and Parenting Support Program. NHF’s school based program combines individual services, strong linkages to community resources and peer group education sessions to help first time pregnant and parenting teens avoid subsequent pregnancies. Core activities of the program revolve around a series of weekly workshops and presentations to help each participant reach the following goals: (1) avoid a subsequent pregnancy; (2) utilize appropriate healthcare for self and child; (3) enhance parenting abilities; (4) remain in high school with the goal of graduation/completion; and (5) prepare for employment by learning job search and interview skills. To reach these objectives, NHF collaborates with local providers and agencies to connect participants with clinical services and community resources for healthcare, nutrition, parenting, child care, and vocational and career planning. In the first two years of the program, 132 students were reached. NHF currently facilitates the program at six high schools within Los Angeles Unified School District: Dorsey, Fremont, Jefferson, New Technology at Jefferson, Santee Education Complex, and West Adams Preparatory.
- Reduce the number of subsequent pregnancies among teens participating in the program
- Connect participants to resources and services in their communities
- Increase utilization of appropriate healthcare among participants and their children
- Enhance parenting abilities and understanding of child development
- Improve high school graduation/completion rates among participants
- Prepare participants to achieve their educational and career goals
- A comprehensive approach to teen pregnancy prevention utilizing individual services and peer group education sessions focuses on improving the overall health, well-being and success of teens and their communities.
The Harold Edelstein Foundation
A grant from the AT&T foundation is being used to support the development of a web-based data collection system to measure and assess program outcomes.
Brooke Fox, Phone: 213-538-0774
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