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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 17, 2003 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~_ <br />SUBJECT: Contracts for Adolescent Parenting Services <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nancy Coston 968-2000 <br />Contracts (Under Separate Cover) Gwen Price ext 2800 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough <br />Chapel Hill <br />Durham <br />Mebane <br />732-8181 <br />968-4501 <br />688-7331 <br />336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider approval to contract with each school 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. These contracts will be coordinated with the programs at the Department of <br />Social Services, which have been very effective at helping participants to finish high school and <br />to delay additional pregnancies. In Fiscal Year 2002-2003, sixteen teen parents were served by <br />Orange County Schools and fourteen were served by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. <br />Teen parents have been identified in each school system for services next year and there is <br />sufficient need to justify afull-time social worker in each system. The contracts are based on a <br />caseload of 12-18 teen parents for each social worker in the school system. The social workers <br />will provide individual and group interventions with teens and will try to address issues that <br />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 />The Social Services Board has reviewed these contracts and recommends approving $39,682 <br />for Orange County Schools and $45,000 for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools for Fiscal Year <br />2003-2004. The costs for each system are based on the actual salary and related cost of the <br />