Teen Pregnancy Prevention
A grant to the Jefferson Union High School District enabled the Daly City Youth Health Center to improve the health and well-being of teens in 2006.
The Foundation is tackling the problem of teen pregnancy, which is endemic in low-income communities throughout the Bay Area and Central Valley. In 2006, the Population Program made grants to extend reproductive health and outreach services to sexually active, low-income teens. Our core strategy involved:
- Expanding direct services in teen pregnancy hotspots. We funded efforts to increase the number of young clients at health centers that provide teen-friendly, culturally competent family planning and reproductive health services.
- Improving the quality and efficiency of services. Grantees were encouraged to develop innovative approaches that could be published in peer-reviewed journals and adopted by other organizations.
- Helping grantees become financially sustainable. We supported the implementation of good organizational practice, strengthened core functions with general operating support, and collaborated with other donors to diversify grantees’ funding sources.
2006 Highlights
Each year, more than 60,000 women, men, and youth visit Planned Parenthood Golden Gate’s eight Bay Area health centers. Our 2006 grant to this organization will help it reach the still-underserved group of low-income teens. By supporting the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, the Foundation advanced two key strategies for improving teens’ overall quality of care and use of Planned Parenthood services. First, the organization will be able to attract and retain experienced clinicians with competitive salaries and benefits, allowing them to staff extended hours in Teen Clinics. Second, by improving the cultural competency of providers working with teens, Planned Parenthood hopes to reach its ultimate goal of reducing pregnancies among an increased clientele.
In 2006, we also extended general operating support to Bayview Hunters Point Healing Arts Center, a full-service adolescent health and youth development center under the fiscal sponsorship of the Bayview Hunters Point Foundation. One of San Francisco’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, Bayview is also home to the largest number of youth in the city.
2007 Goals
- Maintain reproductive health services to 2,400 Daly City youth
- Expand services to Bayview Hunters Point adolescents
- Investigate providing services to at-risk Central Valley youth
- Identify and assess potential intermediary grantees, such as community foundations
