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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 7, 2005 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5- u <br />SUBJECT: Contract Renewal with Orange County Schools System for Adolescent <br />Parenting Services <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nancy Coston, 245-2800 <br />Contract Gwen Price, ext 2800 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To renew the contract with Orange County Schcols System to provide specialized <br />services to pregnant and parenting teens, <br />BACKGROUND: One of the main goals outlined in the federal welfare reform legislation is to <br />support teen parents and to avoid additional unplanned pregnancies. Therefore, federal funds <br />in the Work First Block Grant can be used for this purpose. <br />The goals of this program are to improve parenting skills, assure that participants complete their <br />education and delay second pregnancies, The ultimate goals are to help teens prepare to be <br />self-sufficient and to prevent them from becoming dependent on public assistance. Teen <br />parents are at high risk for becoming dependent on public assistance, particularly if they drop <br />out of school, This contract will be coordinated with the programs at the Department of Social <br />Services, which have been very effective at helping participants to finish high schcol and to <br />delay additional pregnancies. During FY2004-2005, 16 teen parents received services through <br />Orange County Schools. Because of the services provided under this contract, seven teen <br />parents will graduate this school year. <br />Teen parents have been identified for services next year and there is sufficient need to justify a <br />full-time social worker in the Orange County Schools System, The contract is based on a <br />caseload of 12-18 teen parents, The social worker will provide individual and group <br />interventions with teens and will try to address issues that might result in the student dropping <br />out of school, Supportive services (such as housing, transportation, day care, medical care) <br />may also be arranged by the social workers. The social worker works with the other school <br />personnel to meet the academic needs of pregnant or parenting students. <br />Last year, the Department of Social Services had a contract with both the Orange and the <br />Chapel Hill Carrboro school systems, Due to a lower number of teen parents enrolled in the <br />