Teenage pregnancy is a difficult situation for everyone involved, yet thousands of young women become pregnant every year. Teenagers are not mentally, physically or emotionally ready to care for babies, yet they are often forced to do so by the consequences of unprotected sex. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy states that teenage pregnancies cost taxpayers $9.1 billion dollars in 2004. Teens often struggle to meet the financial needs of their children.
Significance
According to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, almost 700,000 teenagers under the age of 20 became pregnant in 2004. Though teenage pregnancy rates are on a decline in the United States, they are still common. Teenage pregnancy affects women of all races and all income levels, whether they come from a poor, middle-class or rich family.
Money Sources
Some teenagers who have children are lucky enough to have savings accounts from previous work experience or from their parent's contributions. Although savings accounts cannot provide for the expenses of a child indefinitely, teenage mothers are often forced to live off the money in their savings accounts for a period of time. Other teenagers choose to get jobs to take care of their children, but this takes them away from spending time with their baby.
Family Support
Many teen mothers have to rely on family to pay for the health expenses of their children. If the mother chooses not to breastfeed, she will need to buy formula, which can cost hundreds of dollars each month. Babies and young children need diapers, clothes, medical visits, vaccinations, food and shelter. The teenage mother's parents or other relatives like siblings, aunts and uncles often end up covering some or all of these expenses.
Government and Private Organizations
Numerous government programs exist to assist teenage mothers in paying for the health expenses of their children. For example, the Women, Infants, Children (WIC) program provides women vouchers for formula and healthy foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that pregnant women and postpartum women can receive WIC checks, and so can children up until 5 years of age. Teen mothers can receive food stamps and other assistance from government programs. Nonprofit organizations like church groups often reach out to communities to provide care and cover some of the medical expenses that teenage mothers have for their babies.
Risks
If a teenage mother has no savings accounts, no job and no family or friends to turn to for financial support, it can be very difficult to meet the health requirements of her child. Government assistance helps, but it is not always enough to meet all of the child's needs. The WIC program is only a supplemental food program and does not provide all of the formula that babies need. Children of teenage mothers can become malnourished or sick if the mother cannot provide for enough healthy foods and doctor's visits.
