Social, Economic and Health Costs of Unintended Teen Pregnancy: The Circle of Care Intervention Program in Troup County, Georgia

Abstract

Unintended teenage pregnancy in the United States is a public health concern with ramifications that include a variety of social, economic and health costs. It has been estimated that adolescents giving birth before the age of 18 cost the United States at least $9.1 billion dollars annually (NCPTUP, 2008). Latest available national data indicate a slight increase in rates of unintended teen pregnancy after a 15 year period of steady decline. The unintended teen pregnancy rate in Troup County, Georgia in 2006 was 51.9/1,000 which was higher than the national average of 41.9/1,000(Kids Count, 2008). The purpose of this study was to review the Circle of Care intervention program, a collaborative multi-agency teen pregnancy prevention program. The Circle of Care program was developed in 1997 through the efforts of multiple community partner organizations. These organizations included the local school system, the Division of Family and Children Services, Public Health, Troup County Family Connection, the local teen clinic, the local hospital and other organizations. Participants in the Circle of Care program receive multiple services, including case management, a family assessment, parenting classes, home visits from the case manager, family planning assistance, services from the teen health clinic and the Division of Family and Children Services. Preliminary data indicate that Circle of Care participants gained social, economic and health benefits from participation in the program including: higher rates of high school enrollment, no repeat pregnancies, and no reported incidences of child abuse or child neglect. Projected cost savings from these outcomes are also reported. Preliminary examination of the Circle of Care program supports the efficacy of multi-level, collaborative efforts to reduce unintended teen pregnancy and subsequent social, economic and health risks. Future research should examine longer term outcomes of this program.