Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy

CONTACT:

105 Chauncy St., 8th floor
Boston, MA 02111
617-482-9122, x114
www.massteenpregnancy.org

Patricia Quinn, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

Massachusetts is one of the few States in the nation that is making significant progress on problems associated with teen pregnancy. Teen births have declined; more teen parents are staying in school, receiving job training, and are self-supporting, as a result of improved support for pregnant and parenting teens and their children that will save far more public dollars than it costs in private gifts. Much of this progress may be attributed to the highly cost-effective work of the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy.

The Alliance works with over 100 health and human service agencies throughout Massachusetts working on teen pregnancy. Founded in 1979, it serves its members through research, policy development, advocacy, and education/public information. In 1989 it was the first honoree of a new national award, for "The Outstanding Local Teen Pregnancy Coalition in the United States” and it has recently been nominated for the 2005 Hilary E.C. Millar Award for Innovative Approaches to Adolescent Health Care.

Massachusetts has great need for the Alliance: it has one of the highest abortion rates in the country; pregnancy rates in Chelsea, Lawrence, and Holyoke have increased, and continue to be more than double the national rate; and 77% of girls and 85% of boys admit to having sex by the age of 19. With federal cutbacks in this area, and Massachusetts' welfare reform, which increases both prevention and intervention programs, demand for Alliance services is increasing significantly. Growing a benefit organization, however, can only be done with increased philanthropic grants and donations. Please help.

(1997: HUMAN SERVICES: Girls and Women: General)