Colorado has made unique progress against teen pregnancy in the past few years. It’s mostly due to a cutting-edge program that provides long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), like IUDs, to teens and young women. That program has almost halved teen abortions in the state, according to the New York Times.
Having Kids is proud to have been part of the coalition of organizations that secured continued funding for this program in 2016, when Governor John Hickenlooper signed a state budget providing for an additional $2.5 million for the successful initiative. That amount will save the state the many more millions of dollars it would have spent on programs for teen mothers. It’s one of the best returns on investment any government can make.
Having Kids is also proud because LARC programming reflects the Having Kids model. The simple truth is that children should not be parents. In general, they cannot offer their kids the good parenting skills, well-being, and fair start in life all children deserve. As we move from a one-sided model focused on teen parent choice to a three-part model focused on the objective interests of parents, children, and the community, we’re also moving towards a better world. By helping teens wait to parent and engaging in good family planning, we’re benefiting everyone — not just kids and their parents.