Five years ago, one of my nieces in West Virginia gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy. There was one big problem, though; she was 15. But through outstanding support of her family, their church, and her teachers, that little fellow is growing up strong, and she is about to graduate from college with a teaching degree. It has not been easy to say the least, but thankfully, her situation is turning out better than it does for many of our teen mothers and their children.
In South Carolina, 1 in 3 births is to a teenager and 1 in 5 teen mothers will have another baby within three years of the first birth. One study shows that only 51% of teen mothers earn their high school diploma by the age of 22.
Last evening, it was my joy to attend a recognition dinner for 17 girls and their families in District Two who are either expecting or have already had a baby. They are participants in our CARE program and among 65 we have served over the past few years. Are we having success? Oh, yes! Of the 65, only one has had a repeat pregnancy and 91% of our past and present enrollees are still in school or have attained their diploma or GED.
How did we get those results? Pictured below is Vanessa Becker who spoke to the group. She is a 2010 Boiling Springs High graduate who was a participant in the CARE program. She is in college and well on her way to a foreign language teaching degree. She encouraged the group to stay in school, to take it a day at a time, and to be wise. Along with family and school support, she credited Liv Hayes and Angie Jones who run the program out of our Upstate Family Resource Center for keeping her focused on achieving her goals.
It is just another vivid example of how our UFRC is working to improve the situation for families in Boiling Springs and Chesnee. Thank you for your support!
