Widespread concern about teenage childbearing led to the establishment of numerous intervention programs throughout the United States during the 1980s. Nevertheless, between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s, the teen birth rate rose in every state. This volume examines numerous prevention programs and makes recommendations for establishing…

For the past several decades, the teenage birth rate in the United States has exceeded that of other industrialized nations. To explore the factors behind this high birth rate, this volume summarizes recent research conducted in the United States on the perceived causes of teenage childbearing. This review is organized around the events leading to…

This book examines the differences between blacks and whites in their early childbearing patterns. In particular it examines the causes of teenage pregnancy and parenting in blacks and its negative effects on parents and children. Fertility data, available information and attitudes about contraception and abortion, education, employment goals, and…

This paper provides an overview of Federal programs related to teenage pregnancy. Primary prevention and ameliorative services are explained to assist fund raisers, counselors, and policymakers in developing appropriate programs. Information is given about legislative background, purpose, eligibility, and disbursement. Programs which provide…

Faced with tight budgets and important changes in welfare policies, few States and local agencies have been able to focus on teenage mothers and their special needs. Yet their needs are different from those of older mothers, and their potential for long-term welfare dependency is high. This paper briefly describes some of the policies, programs,…

Rates of adolescent childbearing in the United States are two to ten times higher than in comparable industrialized democracies. Some programs and service options that show promise for reducing the incidence of adolescent pregnancy are identified in this paper. It begins by outlining 11 principles derived from available research and from program…

Despite a voluminous literature on the determinants of adolescent parenthood, little research exists on school-level influences on nonmarital, school-age motherhood. To address this gap, analyses of data from the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) were conducted to determine individual, family, and school-level predictors of nonmarital…

Federal programs and policies that affect pregnant and parenting teenagers, particularly those programs that are of relevance to schools, are briefly described. The main categories of programs and legislation described are: (1) those bearing on teenage parents and education; (2) pre-school programs; (3) day care; (4) welfare; (5) social services;…