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  • Essay / Teenage pregnancy and the welfare system - 900

    Teenage pregnancy and the welfare systemIn 2011, a total of 329,797 babies were born to women aged 15 to 19 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ). Most people in their late teens and early 20s, eager to succeed, are or should be in college. Today, a large number of young women are putting their lives on hold because they are pregnant. With the recession gripping the United States, supporting and raising a baby while taking care of yourself has become very difficult. As teenagers, it is almost impossible for them to imagine how much money and effort it takes to have a baby. People who decide to become parents at such a young age find it difficult to provide everything necessary for themselves and their child. It is therefore imperative for them to take advantage of the social protection system and all that it offers. As the Baby Cost Calculator shows, the first year after the child is born will cost $10,158 to support the baby (Baby Center). This amount of money could easily cover two years of tuition at a small community college, or even one year at a university. Josefina J. Card states that "teen mothers are less likely to complete high school than their classmates; they are also more likely to end up on welfare" (Annual Review of Public Health). Teenage pregnancy should not be supported under any circumstances. Teen pregnancy rates are increasing every year. This is a major problem that needs to be resolved. No real solution to this problem has been found. Instead, our government is spending money we don't need to support these teenagers who are in need rather than helping other members of our society who are suffering. Michael D. Tanner, co-editor of The Cato Ins...... middle of article...... "Teen Pregnancy Prevention: Do Some Programs Work?" Annual Review of Public Health 20 (1999): 257-85. ProQuest. Internet. March 10, 2014. “Background to Teenage Pregnancy.” Teenage mothers. New York: Women’s Health Channel, 2012. Dosomething.org. Internet. March 9, 2014 “First Year Baby Cost Calculator. » LCC baby center, 1997-2011. Internet. March 10, 2014 Glazer, Sarah. “Social welfare reform.” CQ Researcher August 3, 2001: 601-32. Internet. March 13, 2014. “Labor Force Statistics.” » United States Department of Labor, 2013. BLS.gov/CPS. Internet. March 11, 2014 Tanner, Michael D. “Welfare Reform.” Cato Institute. Finance Commission, March 9, 1995. Web. March 13, 2014. “The importance of prevention.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, September 5, 2013. Web. March 12, 2014. “Social Welfare Information.” American welfare system – Help for American citizens. 2012. Internet. March 11. 2014