Blueprint could help curb teen pregnancy
Initiative By reducing the number of teen pregnancies, the chance of breaking the cycle of poverty is much greater
SAINT JOHN - It's encouraging that half of the 16 initiatives identified in the city's new Benefits Blueprint reflect issues related to youth, says a group that has been working for years to reduce the rate of teen pregnancy in Saint John.
"I think this initiative reflects 10 years plus (of work)," says Pat McGill, director of women and children's health programs for the Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation and chairwoman of the Greater Saint John Teen Pregnancy Committee.
"We've just had the 10th anniversary of BCAPI (Business Community Anti-Poverty Initiative) and I do feel that our business community is educated to think beyond business issues only, to the social fabric of the community."
Benefits Blueprint is a broad-based community initiative that analyzes the economic and social impact of rapid growth anticipated from a half dozen huge industrial projects in the city. The 16 action plans outline what must happen to ensure the province benefits as much as it can. Detailed recommendations address issues including child care, poverty, education, housing, even arts and culture.
Reducing the teen pregnancy rate is key to ensuring the cycle of poverty is broken, says Sharon Amirault, executive director of First Steps, a shelter for young moms, 16 years of age and over. Ninety per cent of the young mothers First Steps serves are children of women who were teens when they became pregnant.
"We have to look at what the community can do," she says.
"A 16-year-old who has no family is going to have a 16-year-old who has no family.
"But if they have child care and education centres they can go into, more support, more alternative education and mentoring, then there's more people raising that child and giving that sense of self-worth and esteem and that hope to become a better citizen.
"I think that's the key that will decrease teen pregnancy. Maybe."
As an example, Amirault speaks of a teen who completed First Steps alternate education program and who has received a university scholarship.
"All we had to do was give her a safe place to live, a chance for an education and day care," she said. "Her children will then want the life that their mom has."
The number of teens becoming pregnant is not going down, which is troubling, says McGill.
"We need a long-term solution and it's got to start with our very youngest children," she says.
Even more disturbing is Amirault's observation that girls as young as 13 to 15-year-olds seem to be getting pregnant now more than ever, along with more addicts.
Since January 2007, First Steps has taken more than 20 telephone calls from 14- and 15-year-olds; before that there was one in six years.
Tina Estabrooks, District 8's community schools co-ordinator, sees teen pregnancy as one of a multiple of high-risk activities that youth engage in but one that has permanent consequences.
"It has a socio-economic impact on two people for certain - that teen mom and that child," says Estabrooks.
"Some of the other riskier behaviours may come and go in a person's life, this one doesn't."
To that end, Estabrooks and her colleagues are looking at opening a couple of family centres in September - one north and one south - where people with children aged 5 and younger can come and participate in activities to help them prepare for school.
And a checklist of developmental assets is being introduced to assist parents in ascertaining where their children fit in areas that range from their interest in music and sports to spirituality and the presence of adult role models.
"It keeps us in check with our parenting skills," says Estabrooks.
A self-esteem package for elementary school students is being considered and, at a couple of inner-city schools, mother-and-daughter book clubs have been formed to get them talking about topics such as bullying and death.
"There has to be a break where we leave that cycle of poverty and move forward. Community schools is an avenue to do that."
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Do you think Poverty creates children? What kind of books have you been reading?
Hence, those of us, currently raising raising children, who are in our late 20's and 30's are left without incentive.
If you want to break the so-called cycle, focus on helping us 'responsible' parents obtain resources....so that we too, will have opportunity.