"Our first challenge is to cherish our children and strengthen America's families. . . To strengthen the family we must do everything we can to keep the teen pregnancy rate going down."

-- President Clinton,
State of the Union Address,
January 23, 1996

A stark report from the Robin Hood Foundation. Teen pregnancy is costing children, mothers and our country more than we can afford. Today's report, reflecting the research of fifteen of the nation's leading scholars of economic and social welfare policy, highlights our challenge:

• Costs for the nation: Costs to the taxpayer are estimated to be $6.9 billion (welfare, Medicaid, foster care, etc.). Broader costs to society are estimated to be $29 billion (lost productivity, diversion of resources, etc.).

• Effect on the children: Children of teenage mothers are more likely to be low-birthweight babies, have childhood health problems, suffer from physical abuse and neglect, and perform poorly or drop out of school.

• Effect on the parents: Eighty percent of teen mothers end up in poverty and reliant on welfare. They are less likely to finish high school and are more likely to spend time as a single parent during their child's formative years. Adolescent fathers make less money and finish less schooling than men their age who are not fathers, making them less able to support their family.

Progress for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. In President Clinton's 1995 State of the Union address, he called for the creation of a National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. That challenge has been met, and is working toward a mission of supporting values and stimulating actions that will prevent teen pregnancy. This private / public partnership is being chaired by former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean.

Acting as a catalyst for community answers. In order to help communities work together to solve this national problem, President Clinton has directed the Department of Health and Human Services to:

• Spend $30 million that has been requested in the President's FY 1997 balanced budget for community-based programs that follow the five principles President Clinton will outline today.

• Issue a short guide for communities that spotlights promising strategies and outlines the principles on which they are based. Those principles are:
  • Programs must stress abstinence and personal responsibility. A program cannot be successful unless it gives our children the moral leadership they need to say no to making the wrong choices -- and to say yes to what is best for their future.
  • Local organizations must make sure that parents and other adult mentors are constantly involved in children's lives.
  • Young people need to be given help in establishing clear strategies for the future to give them hope and a reason to stay in school and avoid pregnancy.
  • A program must bring together many parts of its community -- schools, businesses, and religious organizations. Our chances for success are dramatically increased when every part of the community pulls together.
  • Real success requires a sustained commitment to the young people involved.

• President Clinton has also called on prosecutors in every state to vigorously enforce statutory rape laws against older men who prey on underage women.