Ten Reasons to Refocus National Attention on Teen Childbearing
Seven years ago, when the teen birth rate had been decreasing for more than a decade, Child Trends reminded the public that teen childbearing was still a serious problem in the United States, releasing Ten Reasons to Keep the Focus on Teen Childbearing. With news last month from the federal government that the teen birth rate increased for a second year in a row, Child Trends releases Ten Reasons to Still Keep the Focus on Teen Childbearing.
The brief enumerates ten important research-based findings that underscore why we cannot afford to lose focus on the need to reduce the relatively high rates of teenage childbearing in the U.S. Among the findings:
The human costs associated with teen childbearing are substantial, both for the children and for their parents.
The financial costs of teen childbearing are stark.
Most teens who give birth did not intend to have a baby.
"Recent trends and high teen birth rates among vulnerable populations show the need to keep the focus on this issue," said Jennifer Manlove, Ph.D., one of the report's authors.
RELATED WORK FROM CHILD TRENDS:

Teen Births: Examining the Recent Increase (Child Trends Brief) Estimated Percentage of Females Who Will Become Teen Mothers: Differences Across States (Child Trends Brief)