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The Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs of the Office of Population Affairs provides funding authorized under Title XX to provide services to pregnant and parenting adolescents, adolescent parents and their families. The services are intended to enable pregnant adolescents to obtain proper care and adolescent parents to become productive independent contributors to family and community life.

Healthy Connections administers a CARE Demonstration Project through home visiting and intensive case management. Highly trained paraprofessionals go into the homes or school setting to provide parenting and life skills classes.

Outcome objectives for this program year include:

• To reduce the incidence of repeat pregnancies.
• To increase the educational attainment of project clients such as enrollment in or completion of a school or GED program.
• To decrease family and/or environmental risk factors.
• To initiate breastfeeding.

CARE Demonstration projects are required, by law, to provide either directly or by referrals the following ten CORE SERVICES:

• Pregnancy testing and maternity counseling.
• Adoption counseling and referral services which present adoption as an option for pregnant adolescents.
• Primary and preventative health services including prenatal and postpartum care.
• Nutrition information and counseling.
• Referral for screening and treatment of STI's, including HIV/AIDS.
• Referral to appropriate pediatric care.
• Educational services relating to family life and problems associated with adolescent premarital sexual relations.
• Appropriate educational and vocational services.
• Mental health services and referral to mental health services and to other appropriate physical health services.
• Counseling and referral for family planning services.

Process objectives include tracking number of prenatal visits, well baby checks, immunizations rates, birth control methods, etc...

Transportation to and from medical and social services is provided on a case by case basis.

Referrals come from a variety of community network agencies including but not limited to schools, Department of Health and Human Service, churches, word of mouth and self referrals.

The Director of Outreach assigns the referral to an Outreach Specialist, who then contacts the potential client to set up an appointment to meet with them and their families. Parental consent is required for all 18 year olds and under to participate in the program.

The Outreach Specialist and the client work together to develop a case plan. Education is focused around the goals set forth in this plan.

Classes include but are not limited to:

• CPR/First Aid
• Budgeting
• Prenatal care and pregnancy risks
• pregnancy and maternal care
• labor and delivery
• postpartum care
• infant care and feeding,
• breastfeeding
• behavior management,
• child development,
• hygiene
• lice control
• infection control
• interactive activities
• mental health,
• nutrition
• safety and
• smoking cessation

Partners of the pregnant teens and extended family members are encouraged at all times to be a part of the home visits and group activities which are scheduled monthly.

Clients and their children are tracked for 3 years for improvement and accomplishments in outcome and process objectives.