The Problem
Teen pregnancy profoundly, and in most cases negatively, affects the lives of those involved while costing the community millions of dollars through direct care, ancillary services, and the overall drain on the workforce. Most alarming is the connection between Milwaukee's teen pregnancy epidemic and vicious, cyclical poverty.
Milwaukee has had one of the nation's highest rates of births to teens for decades. As a community, we are addressing it. And we are seeing real results.
Alarming Statistics:
- The long-term cost of a Milwaukee teen having one baby is estimated at $79,320.
- Girls born to teen mothers are 83% more likely to become teen mothers.
- Children of teen mothers are much more likely to drop out of high school prior to graduation.
- In Wisconsin, 71% of babies born to teen girls are fathered by males over 20 years old - in 20% of the cases the fathers are at least six years older.
What United Way Is Doing
Since 2006, this community has invested significant resources and human capital to aggressively combat the teen pregnancy epidemic. United Way of Greater Milwaukee is spearheading these community-wide, collaborative efforts to bring the issue to the forefront of public attention and change the historically high rate of teen births. Despite the hard work and dedication by many individuals and organizations past efforts have not been successful. To ensure we address the teen pregnancy crisis, United Way...
- Sponsored and authored the comprehensive report If Truth be Told with the community-wide Teen Pregnancy Prevention Oversight Committee to work in collaboration with agencies and community leaders.
- Set an aggressive, public goal to reduce births to 15 to 17 year olds by 46% by 2015. All work of the collaborative aim to reach this goal.
- Invests in programs through the Healthy Girls project that helps youths to understand the consequences of teen pregnancy while also teaching them the skills needed to cope with social pressures with the goal of delaying sexual activity and avoiding becoming pregnant.
- Acts as a convener, bringing together a cross-section of Greater Milwaukee with representatives from business, government, education, the medical field, the faith community, law enforcement and other nonprofits. The focused, cumulative efforts of everyone at the table are leading to measurable result. These efforts are highlighted below.
United Way-led Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Oversight Committee: Volunteers continue to lead the charge to keep this issue front and center in the community.
Community Based Organizations and Programs: In 2009, United Way funded 13 Healthy Girls programs, which are implementing evidence-based programming to prevent teen pregnancy and sexual violence. In 2010, United Way will fund 14 programs for a total of $614,000 - the largest annual investment to date.
Colleges and Universities: United Way continues its collaboration with the University of Wisconsin Center for Urban Population Health to facilitate the Healthy Girls data project. In addition, United Way serves as an intern placement site, and has had several masters-level interns focusing their efforts on teen pregnancy prevention.
Local media: United Way continues its public awareness campaign with SERVE Marketing. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel keeps teen pregnancy on the front burner and continues to focus on the issue. Other media partners, like ClearChannel Outdoor, Marcus Theaters, CW18 and My 24, ensure the messages reaches the community.
The Faith Community: Volunteers, representing many faiths, are working toward increasing the dialogue and capacity among religious institutions to directly impact the issue of teen pregnancy. To date, over 40 adults have been trained as facilitators of Keeping it Real, a faith-based sexual health curriculum. In summer 2010, United Way and Calvary Baptist will host a third training series. Over 65 local teens have already graduated from the 8-week, intensive curriculum.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS): United Way worked with MPS and other community leaders to revise human growth and development (HGD) curriculum. Community members were given an opportunity to review the materials and make suggestions about content. In 2009, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers received training in the new HGD curriculum. This training was supported by a grant from United Way. The goal is to have consistent and thorough implementation at all grade levels by 2010.
United Way Women's Initiative: Members of United Way's Women's Initiative continue to turn their concern into action. Because of the generosity and strength of these women, United Way is able to support and grow the critical work of this initiative. In 2010, United Way Healthy Girls funding increased nearly $100,000 over 2009 ($614,000 vs. $525,000) because of the money this group raised. United Way of Greater Milwaukee's total Healthy Girls investment to date is $3.6 million.
And It's Working!
In April 2008, United Way announced a community first: a specific, measurable goal to reduce births to 15-17 year olds by 46% by 2015.
On November 18, 2008, public health officials announced that births among 15-17 year olds in Milwaukee had dropped to the lowest level in 28 years. In November 2009, our community announced another decline. The City of Milwaukee Health Department credit United Way and the community-wide Teen Pregnancy Prevention Oversight Committee's strategic, focused efforts for consecutive drops, bucking national trends.