Family Planning Program
Family Planning Program
Evidence Based Programs for Teen Pregnancy Prevention
2011
In March 2011, the Family Planning Program issued a Request for Proposals to select multi-offerors to implement the Teen Outreach Program (TOP) and Cuídate! The Family Planning Program funds 27 TOP Clubs in 17 communities and 4 Cuídate! programs in 3 communities.
TOP is a nine month evidenced-based service learning/youth development program suitable for teen pregnancy prevention, and reducing school failure and suspension in grades 6-12. The goals of TOP are to:
- promote young people's healthy behavior for successful achievement in school and attainment of their life-long goals;
- help young people acquire valuable life skills to develop the necessary competencies and capacities to grow into healthy, self-sustaining adults; and
- give young people a sense of purpose through authentic opportunities that allow them to contribute in meaningful ways to their communities.
These goals are achieved through the implementation of two program components: a service learning component and a classroom based component.
The Service Learning Component engages youth in constructive activities to build on their strengths and interest and increase their motivation to delay childbearing by providing positive alternatives and leadership opportunities, and connecting academics to civic responsibility. TOP is designed to decrease teen pregnancy and increase school success, with curriculum-guided activities and community service work throughout the school year.
The Classroom Based Component consists primarily of small group activities and discussion on topics of special interest to young people using the Changing Scenes curriculum.
Cuídate! is a six week Hispanic culturally-based HIV sexual risk reduction intervention. It consists of six 60 minute modules delivered to small groups (6-10) of males and females. The target population is English and Spanish-speaking Hispanic youth 13-18 years of age. The goals of Cuídate! are to:
- Influence attitudes, behavioral and normative beliefs, and self-efficacy regarding HIV risk-reduction behaviors, specifically abstinence and correct condom use by incorporating the theme of Cuídate!-taking care of oneself and one’s partner, family and community;
- Highlight cultural values that support safer sex practices and reframe cultural values that are perceived as barriers to safer sex; and
- emphasize how cultural values influence attitudes and beliefs in ways that affect HIV risk-associated sexual behavior.
- Cuídate! emphasizes increasing skills and self-efficacy in communication and negotiation of abstinence or condom use with sexual partners and developing technical skills needed for correct condom use.
TOP clubs promote the recommended adult-teen communication strategy by conducting trainings for parents, guardians, and community members using a parent-child communication program developed in Colorado called Raíces y Alas.
Raíces y Alas is a two-hour workshop for parents of teens designed to increase parents’ confidence in talking with their children about sex and sexual health topics.
The training is designed for service providers, educators, and other community members who would like to engage parents in sexual health education.