Program Authorization: R.S. 46:2521
The mission of the Teen Parent Program is to provide and facilitate the delivery of comprehensive employment, health, educational and social services for the purpose of improving pregnant and parenting teenagers to become capable and responsible parents, skilled members of the workforce, and free from dependence upon government sponsored welfare and other entitlement programs.
The goals of the Teen Parent Program are:
1. Increase the percentage of pregnant and parenting teens who obtain a high school diploma or can function at a higher grade level.
2. Increase the percentage of pregnant and parenting teens who acquire job readiness skills needed to obtain and retain employment.
3. Increase the parenting skills of pregnant and parenting adolescents.
4. Foster greater involvement of parents, grandparents and other extended family members for providing emotional and financial support t the pregnant and parenting teens.
Every day in Louisiana, forty-two teenagers get pregnant and thirty-five teenagers have babies. Louisiana spends $150,000 every day to provide health care services for pregnant teenagers. When a teen has a baby while she is still in the process of maturing physically and emotionally, serious and long lasting problems build. The lack of not having a high school diploma, unemployment and the high probability of welfare dependence, are only three of the many consequences. About 30% of adolescent mothers earn a high school diploma by age 30 and the majority live in poverty during their children's growing up years. More than 70 percent of them become welfare recipients and 40 percent will be welfare recipients for five or more years during the 10 years after their first birth.
OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
1. During FY 1998-99, the Teen Parent Program will ensure that 95% of the pregnant and parenting teenagers enrolled in the center's educational component will either complete high school, or increase their basic skills in reading and math by one grade level.
2. In FY 1998-99, the Teen Parent Program will enroll 74 program participants in the center's job readiness classes and enhance their employability skills.
3. In FY 1998-99, the Teen Parent Program will ensure that 75 program participants and their families receive counseling to gain increased skills and abilities to manage their interpersonal relationships, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
4. In FY 1998-99, the Teen Parent Program will ensure that all program participants enrolled in the center's parenting class demonstrate an increased understanding of early childhood development and how to maintain their own as well as their children's health.
5. In FY 1998-99, the Teen Parent Program will provide services to 150 pregnant and parenting teens.
RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR THE PROGRAM
This program is funded with state general fund, interagency transfers, fees and self-generated revenues and federal funds. Interagency transfers are Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) funds received from the Department of Labor to provide employment and training services to teen parents. Fees and self-generated revenues are derived from private and corporate donations to support a demonstration teen pregnancy prevention project. Federal funds are derived from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The total means of financing for this program is recommended at 92.8% of the existing operating budget. It represents 139.6% of the total request ($414,958) for this program. The net reduction over existing operating budget in this program is primarily due to the personnel reduction and elimination of 2 vacant positions. No layoffs should result from the elimination of these 2 vacant positions. The recommended budget exceeds the requested amount due to the anticipated collection of federal funds not submitted in the budget request.
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Other Professional Services for evaluation and counseling for teen parents and their families |
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Office of Women's Services provides education and employment services to develop parenting skills, to achieve a GED and to place in employment |
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ACQUISITIONS AND MAJOR REPAIRS
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This program does not have funding for Acquisitions and Major Repairs for Fiscal Year 1998-1999. |