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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 8, 2004 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5 - {' <br />SUBJECT: Contract Renewals with School Systems for Adolescent Parenting Services <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Contracts (under separate cover) <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nancy Coston, 245-2800 <br />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 continue contracts with each school system to provide specialized services to <br />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 far 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, These contracts will be coordinated with the programs at the Department of <br />Social Services, which have been very effective in helping participants to finish high school and <br />to delay additional pregnancies. In Fiscal Year 2003-2004, sixteen teen parents were served by <br />Orange County Schools and twelve were served by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. <br />Because of the services provided under this contract, 11 teen parents will graduate this school <br />year. <br />Teen parents have been identified in each school system for services next year and there is <br />sufficient need to justify a full-time social worker in each system. The contracts are based on a <br />caseload of 12-18 teen parents far each social worker in each school system, The social <br />workers will provide individual and group interventions with teens and will try to address issues <br />that might result in the student dropping out of school. Supportive services (such as housing, <br />transportation, day care, medical care) may also be arranged by the social workers, The social <br />workers at the school work with the other school personnel to meet the academic needs of <br />pregnant or parenting students. <br />