Located in:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
States that include TANF in the Combined State Plan must outline how the State will meet the requirements of section 402 of the Social Security Act including how it will:
e. Establish Goals and Take Action to Prevent and Reduce Out-of- Wedlock Pregnancies, with Special Emphasis on Teenage Pregnancies (section 402(a)(1)(a)(v) of the Social Security Act)
Current Narrative:
Community Partnerships/Missouri Caring Communities Caring Communities have six (6) core results that make up their framework. One of the core results is Youth Ready to Enter Productive Adulthood. One of the goals of this core result is to reduce teen pregnancy. Each Caring Community is responsible for each of the core results. Caring Communities form partnerships within the community to facilitate programs designed to reach core results. Those partnerships include: state agencies/organizations, community organizations, neighborhoods, schools, parents and youth in the community. As part of their strategy to help with reducing teen pregnancy, several programs have been implemented in the Caring Communities. Some of these programs include: education enrichment for teenage pregnancy prevention; safety net for families to enhance family living; school health services to improve family health; and mentoring programs directly aimed at youth. Abstinence Education Grant Program The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services administers the Abstinence Education Grant Program (AEGP) to support teen pregnancy prevention strategies to reduce out-of-wedlock births. AEGP funds a media campaign that includes Talk with Me radio and television spots to encourage parents to talk with their kids about sex, abstinence, and other healthy decisions. Personal Responsibility Education Program The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services administers the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) to support teen pregnancy prevention strategies to reduce out-of wedlock births. PREP serves adolescents ages 12-19 in some of the highest need counties of Missouri by providing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention education programs which also include addressing adulthood preparation topics. Teen Outreach Program The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is administrated by the Department of Health and Senior Services to replicate one of the few rigorously evaluated programs proven effective in increasing school success and protecting youth from risk factors that contribute to teen pregnancy and other negative health behaviors.