CT school district with a high teen pregnancy rate is working to keep young parents in school

Sustainable Development Goals and Teen Pregnancy

Introduction

By age 22, just 50% of teen moms will hold a high school diploma, compared to 90% of women who did not become a parent in their adolescence, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Supporting Teen Parents

“Adolescent pregnancy is still highly stigmatized in our society. And I think for those who decide to continue their pregnancy and decide to parent, we need to support them in order (for them) to accomplish their goals and take care of their families,” Qasba said. “While most teen pregnancies may be unintended, some are planned, and we should focus on supporting those to parent and finish school rather than furthering stigmatization.”

Teen Pregnancy Rates in Connecticut

Compared to the national average of 13.9 births per 1,000 females between the ages of 15 and 19, the Connecticut teen birth rate is 7.1, according to the CDC.

Qasba said teen pregnancy rates have generally decreased across the U.S. and Connecticut, but that decline has not been felt equally across the state.

While Qasba said Connecticut tends to see higher numbers of teen births in areas that lack access to reproductive health education or experience higher rates of poverty, she said “That’s more a reflection of the lack of social support and resources in those towns than any other factor.”

Importance of Comprehensive Sexual Education

Qasba said comprehensive sexual education in schools lays “the foundation for education and prevention” of teen pregnancy, but unfortunately, she said many districts in our state are “still lacking” in this area.

Much research also points to poverty, trauma, and race as risk factors for teen pregnancy.

Qasba said that “teen pregnancy can happen to everyone” and cautioned against making generalizations or stereotyping the issue.

Providing Support for Teen Parents in Hartford

Hartford’s Adolescent Birth Rate

Hartford has the highest adolescent birth rate in the state, according to a 2017 study by Connecticut Voices for Children. The report recorded 47 births per 1,000 teens in the city.

Hartford Public Schools officials estimate a similar number this year. Currently, the district has 42 enrolled students who are parents, a spokesperson said.

The Role of Little Owls

To help teen parents in Hartford, the district recently reopened Little Owls, a free early childhood day care center in Hartford Public High School designed to help teen parents stay in school.

After taking a three-year hiatus amid a decline in participation during the pandemic, Little Owls relaunched in a reimagined space with an expanded mission to serve parents across the district.

The new childhood center offers districtwide, door-to-door transportation, allowing students and their babies to go from their homes to Little Owls, out to their own schools, and back again. The center also connects parents and pregnant teens with social workers who can provide additional, wrap-around support.

The Impact of Little Owls

For Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, the revived initiative is about more than breaking down barriers, it is about ensuring access to a basic human right, education.

“Many times, parenting teens are forced to drop out of school because they don’t have access to free, safe child care. Little Owls allows us to meet the needs of young parents enrolled in our district so they can stay on track academically,” Torres-Rodriguez said. “Our mission is to help all students succeed, and I am so excited to see our students take advantage of this program and continue to reach for their dreams.”

At a time when the district is trying to make strides in reducing chronic absenteeism and disengagement, Torres-Rodriguez said Little Owls has already made a difference for one young parent who was chronically absent.

Torres-Rodriguez said “the minute that the child care was provided,” that student “has been in school every single day.”

Program Details

Two infants are currently enrolled in Little Owls, but the program has room for up to eight babies between the ages of 8 weeks and 3 years, according to Lore Minich, the district’s director of early childhood and the Hartford PreK Magnet School.

Minich said the program will remain open through the summer for parents who need to make up missed credits or receive additional academic support. Additionally, the center is looking at building a pipeline that would provide toddlers from Little Owls with a spot in Hartford PreK Magnet School.

Minich said the center is staffed by a “highly skilled” two-person team that is dedicated to providing quality education and care.

Minich described Little Owls’ newly renovated home as a “beautiful environment.”

“We have every manipulative or learning toy available,” Minich said. “Children naturally want to play with other children and they’re curious about their surroundings. So they’re in a really highly engaging environment that fosters all those social skills.”

“You get that feeling of happiness as soon as you walk in the front door,” she said.

Minich first became involved with Little Owls as a Pre-K teacher roughly 15 years ago.

She said she is passionate about the mission because “it allows the teen moms to focus on their goal of completing high school … and beyond.”

“The fact that we are able to provide them access to high-quality child care so that they can now focus on their goal of high school graduation, I think is amazing.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article discusses the challenges faced by teen parents in completing their education and the need for support to help them achieve their goals. This aligns with SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. The article also highlights the disparities between teen mothers and women who did not become parents in their adolescence, indicating a gender inequality issue (SDG 5). Additionally, the article mentions the impact of poverty and lack of social support on teen pregnancy rates, highlighting the need to address reduced inequalities (SDG 10). Lastly, the article emphasizes the importance of providing support and resources to teen parents, which relates to SDG 16’s goal of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education.
• Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets identified are related to ensuring access to quality education for teen parents (Target 4.1), promoting sexual and reproductive health rights (Target 5.6), reducing inequalities and promoting social inclusion (Target 10.2), and ending violence against children (Target 16.2).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 4.1.1: Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex.
• Indicator 5.6.1: Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use, and reproductive health care.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 16.2.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation.

The article does not explicitly mention indicators, but based on the identified targets, the suggested indicators can be used to measure progress. These indicators include measuring the proficiency levels of children and young people in reading and mathematics (Indicator 4.1.1), assessing the proportion of women making informed decisions regarding reproductive health (Indicator 5.6.1), monitoring the income levels of different age groups and genders (Indicator 10.2.1), and tracking the number of victims of human trafficking (Indicator 16.2.2).

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: courant.com

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