An Overlooked Group in the Fight to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Community-based pregnancy prevention for high-risk minority adolescents
In 2000, East Side House, Inc., a social services agency in the Bronx, N.Y., replicated its Community-Based Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, developed in 1997 in collaboration with Planned Parenthood of New York City.
East Side House serves the Bronx community of Mott Haven, a low income, primarily Latino and African-American community. The pregnancy prevention program started at the Mill Brook Community Center and the grant partially supported its replication at an additional site: The Mott Haven Community Center.
The program used a network of advocates and role models to provide information for children regarding sex and pregnancy prevention. One component, the Sisters Program, targeted a high-risk, often overlooked group, the younger sisters and daughters of teen mothers.
Key Results
- East Side House recruited 10 teenagers as teen advocates and 12 parents to serve as adult role models.
- It conducted two special events, a Community Forum and a Teen Night Out.
- It served 40 young women in the Sisters Program and restructured the program's curriculum.
Funding
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) provided partial support for this project with a grant of $20,000 from December 1999 to November 2000.