Between conception and age three, a child's brain develops at an astonishing pace. Children living in poverty during these early years face developmental disadvantages as a result of social deprivation, language deficits, and heightened levels of stress, fear and uncertainty.
Teen pregnancy is both a local and global issue. The benefits of reducing the rate of teen pregnancy around the globe are numerous. Teens who delay childbearing have the opportunity to finish their education and pursue their career goals so that they may establish themselves as financially stable and independent.
Not too long ago, the national and Memphis news turned their lens on pregnant teens in Memphis. Every year, one in six births in Shelby County is to a mother in her teens. Between 1991 and 2002, the teen birth rate for girls aged 15-19 had declined 27 percent in Tennessee.
