{"id":31402,"date":"2023-07-07T19:10:30","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T19:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/preventing-pregnancy-youth-foster-care\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T21:24:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:24:36","slug":"prevencion-del-embarazo-en-jovenes-bajo-cuidado-temporal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/preventing-pregnancy-youth-foster-care\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfQu\u00e9 estrategias pueden ayudar a prevenir el embarazo no intencional en j\u00f3venes bajo cuidado temporal?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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While pregnancy and birth rates among teens have hit historic lows, the number of pregnant and parenting youth in foster care continues to remain disproportionately high compared to youth in the general population. Unplanned teenage pregnancies can result in serious health and educational impacts for both mother and child. Teenage mothers in foster care are twice as likely as older mothers to be reported to a child protection agency for suspected child maltreatment and have their child removed from their care.1<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

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Securing housing and finding employment when transitioning out of foster care is much more challenging for a young mother with a baby or young child. The children of teen mothers (not specific only to teen mothers in foster care) also are more likely to drop out of school, become incarcerated at some point during adolescence, and have babies at young ages.2<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

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These outcomes may be due, at least in part, to teenage mothers in foster care not receiving sufficient support. Elements of the Family First Prevention Services Act<\/span><\/a> are designed to address these issues, with the act including pregnant and parenting youth as a categorically eligible population for prevention services. The Center for the Study of Social Policy has prepared a helpful FAQ<\/span><\/a> on how the law applies. For information specific to supporting pregnant and parenting teens, see: What strategies support pregnant and parenting teens in foster care?<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

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This issue brief provides a compilation of current strategies and jurisdictional examples on the topic of preventing unintended pregnancies for youth in foster care. It is designed to respond to inquiries from child protection agencies for materials on this issue to inform policy and practice, and ensure the most effective services possible are offered to support pregnant and parenting youth, as well as their families.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Background<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Although nationwide statistics are not available, studies indicate that as many as half of the females in foster care become pregnant by age 19, compared to one in five of their peers not in foster care. Further, females in foster care are much more likely to have repeat pregnancies.3<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0One study<\/span> <\/a>reported that nearly 50% of young men in foster care had fathered a child or were involved in getting a partner pregnant, compared with 19% of their peers not in foster care. Given that American Indian\/Alaska Native, Black, and Latinx teens in the general population experience disproportionately high rates of pregnancy<\/span><\/a>, it is reasonable to conclude that similar rates exist among American Indian\/Alaska Native, Black, and Latinx youth in foster care.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Societal structures and institutional practices place youth in foster care at a higher risk for teenage pregnancy<\/span><\/a>. The National Center for Youth Law describes six factors<\/span><\/a> that can lead to pregnancy among youth in foster care:<\/p>\n

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  1. \u00a0Reproductive coercion.<\/b> <\/span>Abusive and controlling behavior by a partner (such as sabotaging birth control or applying pressure to become pregnant) can contribute to higher pregnancy rates.<\/li>\n
  2. Placement instability.<\/b><\/span> Changes in foster care placement can lead to gaps in health care and education (including sexual education), which can put youth in foster care at risk for pregnancy.<\/li>\n
  3. Diffusion of responsibility.<\/b><\/span> Many people \u2014 including social workers, judges, and resource parents \u2014 are involved in the lives of youth in foster care, but none are formally obligated to engage with youth on issues of sexual education or provide information and access to contraception. Many youth in foster care don\u2019t have a caring, trusted adult in their lives with whom they can confide about personal issues and decisions regarding sex and contraception.4<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Lack of policies and training.<\/b> <\/span>Service providers and resource parents report that they are not sufficiently trained on youth sexual education and contraceptive options, and that their roles in these areas are not made clear in policies and procedures.<\/li>\n
  5. Confusion about legal consent and confidentiality rights.<\/b><\/span> Youth in foster care may experience additional challenges accessing confidential health care services for access to contraception, which may lead to confusion about the rights and services available to them.<\/li>\n
  6. Pregnancy history.<\/b><\/span> Research indicates that youth in foster care who already have become pregnant are not consistently provided information about how to prevent subsequent pregnancies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Strategies for consideration<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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    A child protection agency plays an important role in addressing the health and well-being of all the children in foster care, which includes services to support sexual education and prevention of unplanned pregnancies.5<\/sup><\/a> Child protection agencies can make progress in reducing unplanned teenage pregnancy among youth in foster care by implementing the following strategies:6<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n