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Training 3 (T3) Family Planning Training Center, Department of Health and Human Services Region III
Focusing on Disadvantaged Youth & Youth in Foster Care

The Challenge

• Youth in foster care, African American, and Latino youth in the United States and across Region III face significant disparities in teen pregnancy, HIV, and STD rates. Region 3 includes Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
• Pregnancy and birth rates for girls in foster care are significantly higher than rates for their peers outside of the foster system. Boys in foster care are also much more likely to become parents before age 19 than their peers outside of the foster system. Higher rates of pregnancy and birth persist for youth aged 18–24 upon transitioning out of the foster system to life on their own. Youth in foster care face multiple factors¹ that put them at increased risk for teen pregnancy, HIV, and STDs, including
  • Disrupted family life and peer relationships.
  • Becoming sexually active at younger ages than other youth.
  • History of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect.
  • Low use of contraception.
  • Emotional, behavioral and mental difficulties.
  • Drug and alcohol use.

  Source:
  1. Love LT, McIntosh J, Rost M, and Tertzakian K. Fostering hope: preventing teen pregnancy among youth in foster care. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2005.1.

The Solution: Youth in Virginia’s Foster Care Services

In Richmond, Virginia, T3 formed the Virginia Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnership for Youth in Foster Care. The primary focus of the the partnership  is to ensure that older adolescents who transition out of foster care will have the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge that will encourage and promote healthy sexual behaviors. The partnership includes

• Virginia Department of Social Services
• Virginia Department of Health
• Richmond City Department of Social Services Independent Living Program
• Richmond City Health District
• Richmond Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
• TRAINING 3, Family Planning Council

 T3 began by providing in-depth training on adolescent reproductive health, sexuality, and risk reduction to Independent Living Program staff, social workers, group home directors, juvenile justice staff, and foster parents. T3 also held workshops for foster parents on Talking to Youth about Sex and Sexuality. Youth have been actively involved in developing partnership activities.

The partnership selected Power Through Choices (PTC), a curriculum designed specifically for youth in group home settings. After successfully piloting the program in Richmond’s Independent Living Program, the Virginia Departments of Health and Social Services and other partners are interested in sustaining the program in Richmond and replicating it in other group homes in Virginia.

Youth and Communities Served

• The pilot of Power Through Choices was delivered to 18 young women aged 14–19 years old in a Richmond group home.
• Three more group homes for young women are expected to provide the program for their youth beginning in February 2009.
• The the partnership is looking at the needs and issues young men face to determine whether and how Power Through Choices needs to be adapted before being used with young men in foster care.

The Solution: Disadvantaged Youth in Philadelphia Schools

T3 provides intensive training and technical assistance to the Family Planning Council’s Health Resource Center Program (HRC), serving the School District of Philadelphia.

• T3 built the HRC’s capacity to review, select, and adapt a prevention curriculum to meet the needs of its target youth in school-based health clinics. The HRC selected Project RESPECT because it fit well with one-to-one counseling with students identified as being likely to engage in high-risk behaviors.
• Evaluation of the programs shows positive aspects to Project RESPECT’s extended counseling model, including having additional time with students and the ability to address other topics beyond sexual health issues, such as emotional issues and family life. Plans to strengthen the program in the future include having students list risk reduction goals for themselves and tracking progress made toward those goals in subsequent sessions.

Youth and Communities Served

• Thirty-two male and female students at increased risk for teen pregnancy, HIV, and STDs were served during 2007–2008 at inner city Philadelphia high schools.
• The majority (84%) of youth served were African American.
• The majority (81%) returned for the second of the two counseling sessions required in Project RESPECT.
• Almost half (47%) of the youth served were referred for additional services.

Expected Impact

• The Virginia Department of Health and Department of Social Services, Independent Living Foster Care Program will have increased capacity to select, implement, and evaluate science-based approaches to prevent teen pregnancy and promote adolescent reproductive health among teens in foster care.
• The Family Planning Council’s Health Resource Centers (HRCs) in the Philadelphia Public School District will have increased capacity to select, implement, and evaluate school-based, science-based approaches to prevent teen pregnancy and promote adolescent reproductive health

Targeted Population(s)

• Youth in foster care.
• Disadvantaged youth at increased risk for teen pregnancy, HIV, and STDs.
• Reproductive health providers.

Contact:
Rob McKenna—Director, TRAINING 3
Director of Training Programs, Family Planning Council, Inc.
260 South Broad Street, Suite 1000, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215-985-2640
Fax: 215-732-1252
Rob@Familyplanning.org
www.training3info.org*
www.familyplanning.org*

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Page last reviewed: 5/17/09
Page last modified: 5/17/09
Content source: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion