Studies show that teen childbearing puts families at great risk for a life of poverty and struggle: Two-thirds of families begun by a young unmarried mother are poor. One-quarter of teen mothers go on welfare within 3 years of the child’s birth Only 38 percent of mothers who give birth before 18 get a high school diploma. As a society, the costs have been estimated at $11 billion per year (from increased costs for health care and foster care, increased incarceration rates among children of teen parents, and lost tax revenue because of lower educational attainment and income among teen mothers). The new study from the CDC reveals that 18 percent of teen births are repeat teen births. Texas has the highest rate, with 22 percent being repeats.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 04:51:05 +0000