May 2011

Ask NCFY: Mother's Day at Maternity Group Homes

Q: How can my maternity group home celebrate Mother’s Day without implicitly “celebrating” teen pregnancy?

NCFY Recommends: Take the National Campaign's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Quiz

Here's something you may or may not know: Though the U.S. teen birth rate is at a record low, 3 in 10 American girls get pregnant by age 20.

NCFY Recommends: Helping Parents Talk to Teens About Sex

Many parents dread having “the talk” about sex with their children. But there are good reasons for youth workers to encourage parents to keep the lines of communication open with their teens. For one, research shows that positive communication with parents can help young people establish values and make healthy decisions. In addition, having accurate information about sex and relationships encourages youth to delay sex and to protect themselves when they choose to become sexually active. 

Here are some resources youth workers can share with parents:

New From NCFY: 'A New Push for Teen Pregnancy Prevention'

Today, while U.S. teen pregnancy and birth rates remain low, U.S. rates are still the highest among all developed nations. The federal government, states and communities, therefore, have renewed their efforts to combat teen pregnancy. The good news is that we know more than ever about how to influence young people’s decisions about sex, relationships and childbearing.

Primary Sources: Understanding Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior

The Science of Adolescent Risk-Taking: Workshop Report,” Committee on the Science of Adolescence; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2011.

Right on the Money: Let Volunteer Designers Manage Your Extreme Makeover

Photograph of a nicely decorated green wall.Your space feels cramped. The sofa cushions are coming apart at the seams. The bare white walls are uninspiring. You want to give young people a sense of optimism and empowerment, but your surroundings aren’t conveying the message. Fortunately, there are architects and designers around the country who are willing to help for little or no cost.

Q&A: Lisa James from Futures Without Violence on Teen Pregnancy and Relationship Violence

The link between teen pregnancy and violence, documented by researchers for two decades, is an often-neglected subject in teen pregnancy prevention programs. We spoke with Lisa James, director of health at Futures Without Violence (formerly the Family Violence Prevention Fund), to learn more about the link.

NCFY:  What is Futures Without Violence doing to understand the link between teen pregnancy and relationship violence? And what are the statistics on violence and teen pregnancy from your research?

Mural Contest Winner: 'Leaving Footprints in the Community'

Congratulations to the YETI youth group at the Listening Ear Crisis Center in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

This winter, runaway and homeless youth programs funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau were given the chance to win the materials to paint a wall mural in their facilities. In this post, we recognize the judges' No. 1 choice.

National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth | 5515 Security Lane, Suite 800 | North Bethesda, MD 20852 | (301) 608-8098 | ncfy@acf.hhs.gov