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:
Arkansas continues to operate programs using state and federal funds to prevent or reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, including abstinence education.
The Arkansas State Legislature implemented the TANF-funded Community Investment Initiatives which includes a component designed to improve outcomes for youth. These outcomes include reducing risky behaviors such as sexual activities, drug use, and criminal behavior.
Plan to Reduce Unwed Births and TeenagePregnancy
Introduction
Unmarried birth prevention should be viewed as -a process, not a program, involving multiple strategies and multiple agencies in a sustained effort. The rise in unwed births is an urgent social problem that resists easy solutions. Arkansas’ approach is multifaceted with four major components:
- Abstinence programs using funding in the welfare reform act
- Improve access to family planning services statewide
- Community-based efforts in targeted counties
- Two state level steering committees to coordinate the efforts
Abstinence Programs
Arkansas Act 1705 required the establishment of the Community Investment Initiative to provide services to children, adults, families, and parents.
The TANF-funded Community Investment Initiative includes a component designed to improve outcomes for youth. These outcomes include reducing risky behaviors such as sexual activities, drug use, and criminal behavior.
Partnerships are formalized with community and faith-based organizations through the award of TANF-funded contracts on an annual basis.
These community partnerships recognize the reduction of out-of-wedlock births as a priority and have developed programs that include strategies to enhance educational attainment, reduce teenage pregnancies, and reduce the incidence of criminal behaviors by participating youth.
Services offered by providers meet TANF Goal 3, to prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies by providing prevention and intervention programs for students who live in poor communities and/or show evidence of academic underperformance, dropping out, or engaging in negative behaviors that can lead to dependency, out-of-wedlock births, or imprisonment.
Improved Access to Family Planning Services
Arkansas Act 1705 required the establishment of the Community Investment Initiative to provide services to children, adults, families, and parents.
The TANF-funded Community Investment Initiative is includes components designed to improve parenting and family functioning through services and support to parents, children, and to families. Additionally, this initiative addresses improving marriage and relationship skills among youth and engaged and married couples.
Partnerships are formalized with community and faith-based organizations through the award of TANF-funded contracts on an annual basis.
Services offered by providers meet TANF Goal 4, to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
These community partnerships recognize the importance of both family planning as well as enhanced family functioning.
Education and Training on Rape Prevention
The Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape, and Domestic Violence (ACCARDV) of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is authorized to allocate and administer funds for Sexual Violence Prevention and Education through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
These funds strengthen sexual violence prevention and education efforts through the provision of grants to community-based organizations to provide comprehensive sexual violence primary prevention aimed at preventing the initial occurrence of sexual violence.
Currently, there are eight (8) programs funded across the state. These contracts solicit the assistance of community organizations to provide sexual violence prevention and education to youth, at-risk youth, and adults. These programs are designed to change attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that allow sexual violence to occur.
Educational programs are available to specific populations, including males, Hispanics, African Americans, and persons with disabilities.