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Health and Human Services:
The Office of Population Affairs of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced awards totaling $3,213,917.
Nine Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Care Demonstration Grants were awarded to school districts, a faith-based organization and seven community-based organizations.
"These awards are critical to helping the nation's young people become productive, independent contributors to family and community life," said Evelyn Kappeler, acting director of the Office of Population Affairs.
"They not only help families understand the seriousness of teen pregnancy, but they provide them with information and tools to help their children avoid the problems and negative consequences so often associated with teen parenting."
The AFL care demonstration programs establish and evaluate innovative approaches to the delivery of care to pregnant and parenting teens in an effort to ameliorate the effects of too-early childbearing.
The programs provide an array of services to help prevent repeat pregnancies and enhance the well being of teen mothers and fathers, their infants and their families.
Programs include pregnancy testing and maternity counseling; adoption counseling and referral services; primary and preventive health services; counseling and referrals for family planning services; referrals for screenings and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV; and educational services relating to parenting and family life.
Research shows that future educational and economic prospects for teens decline significantly if they have a baby.
Teen pregnancy is closely linked to less than optimal health outcomes for mothers and infants, school dropout, lack of job skills, repeat pregnancies, poverty and unstable home environments.
These nine new care projects will make a total of 31 AFL care demonstration programs currently funded by the Office of Population Affairs.
The AFL care demonstration grants are for five years, based on funds available.
Posted on November 9, 2006 07:55 PM
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