1. Grant Programs
  2. Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program
  3. Teen Pregnancy Prevention Successful Strategies
  4. Better Family Life, Inc.

Better Family Life, Inc.

Published 2017

Highlights

  • In 2015, Better Family Life, Inc. was awarded a $6.2 million, five-year grant from the HHS Office of Adolescent Heath (OAH) Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program for the Better Family Life Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (BFL TPPP).
  • BFL TPPP will reach a grand total of nearly 20,000 middle and high school students in 28 zip codes in the Metropolitan St. Louis region by 2020.
  • BFL implements three evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in middle schools, high schools, and after-school settings: Making Proud Choices!, Promoting Health among Teens! Abstinence Only, and Sisters Saving Sisters.

Overview

In July 2015, the HHS Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) awarded 84 Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program grants, which are expected to reach 1.2 million youth over the course of the five-year project. Some of the grantee organizations, including Better Family Life Inc., had been previously funded by OAH and are now building on earlier successes by expanding efforts to reach more youth in more settings with a holistic teen pregnancy prevention approach.

The Better Family Life Teen Pregnancy Prevention program (BFL TPPP) began in FY2010 with funding from OAH. During the initial project they implemented evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programming in 22 zip codes in St. Louis, Missouri reaching 12,545 youth over five years. BFL TPPP has expanded their work with additional funding in 2015 and will reach almost twice the number of youth in six additional zip codes (totaling 28 zip codes) in St. Louis.

About Better Family Life, Inc.

BFL works in poor, urban communities in St. Louis where youth are regularly exposed to trauma, violence, and drugs. BFL staff work with youth dealing with sexual violence, suicide, and family health issues all while trying to manage the daily stresses of normal adolescent development. BFL TPPP helps youth by providing a safe place and a trusted adult to discuss their struggles and to learn about making positive, proud choices about their lives and relationships.

BFL TPPP partners with 22 public and private schools in St. Clair County, St. Louis City, and St. Louis County to provide community-based teen pregnancy prevention services. This includes providing evidence-based, medically accurate teen pregnancy prevention programs, assessing for and connecting youth to trauma-informed care, and providing referrals to youth-friendly healthcare services in the St. Louis Region.

By 2020, BFL TPPP expects to see positive results in the community they serve including reduced rates and disparities in the following outcomes:

  • Teen pregnancies
  • Teen births
  • Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Why It Matters

The OAH TPP program and the BFL TPPP are important investments in reducing the rates of teen pregnancy in this country. The BFL TPPP:

  • Provides services in communities with the greatest needs. As compared to other regions of similar size, the metropolitan St. Louis region is in the top 10 for high rates of crime, violence, drugs, and STDs. Additionally, the teen birth rate in communities served by BFL TPPP is more than double the state and national rate.
  • Instills hope in an environment with widespread violence and disparities. The BFL TPPP not only provides evidence-based programming, but they are talking with (as opposed to at) youth about what they can do to save their lives, improve their community, and create a better family life in general.
  • Serves as a key partner in other citywide initiatives. The BFL TPPP is a key component in the St. Louis area’s Strong Cities, Strong Community (SC2) Initiative to reduce disparities in community and health outcomes.

BFL TPPP by the Numbers

  • National Teen Birth Rate (2014): 24.2 per 1,000 females ages 15-19
  • Missouri Teen Birth Rate (2014): 27.2 per 1,000 females ages 15-19
  • St. Louis City Teen Birth Rate (2013*): 46.5 per 1,000 females ages 15-19
  • Community Teen Birth Rate where Better Family Life reaches (2014): 42.3 per 1,000 females ages 15-19

For more information or to schedule a site visit, contact:

Miranda Jones
Vice President of Youth Family and Clinical Services
(314) 454-0622, ext. 717
mjones@betterfamilylife.org

Erica Driver
Director of Youth, Family Services and Compliance
(314) 454-0622, ext. 718
edriver@betterfamilylife.org
http://betterfamilylife.org/

Print the full story here.

About the Office of Adolescent Health TPP Program

The OAH Teen Pregnancy Prevention program is a national, evidence-based program that funds diverse organizations working to prevent teen pregnancy across the United States. OAH invests in the implementation of programs identified as evidence-based by the HHS Teen Pregnancy Prevention Evidence Review and provides funding to develop and evaluate new and innovative approaches to prevent teen pregnancy.