Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 92 Part 3.djvu/963

 PUBLIC LAW 95-626—NOV. 10, 1978

92 STAT. 3595

TITLE VI—GRANT PROGRAM FINDINGS AND PURPOSES

SEC. 601. (a) The Congress finds that— (1) adolescents are at a high risk of unwanted pregnancy; (2) in 1975, almost 1,000,000 adolescents became pregnant and nearly 600,000 carried their babies to term; (3) pregnancy and childbirth among adolescents, particularly young adolescents, often results in severe adverse health, social, and economic consequences, including: a higher percentage of pregnancy and childbirth complications; a higher incidence of low-birth-weight babies; a higher frequency of developmental disabilities; higher infant mortality and morbidity; a decreased likelihood of completing schooling; a greater likelihood that adolescent marriage will end in divorce; and higher risks of unemployment and welfare dependency; (4) an adolescent who becomes pregnant once is likely to experience rapid repeat pregnancies and childbearing, with increased risks; (5) the problems of adolescent pregnancy and parenthood are multiple and complex and are best approached through a variety of integrated and essential services; (6) such services, including a wide array of educational and supportive services, often are not available to the adolescents who need them, or are available but fragmented and thus of limited effectiveness in preventing pregnancies and future welfare dependency; and (7) Federal policy therefor should encourage the development of appropriate health, educational, and social services where they are now lacking or. inadequate, and the better coordination of existing services where they are available in order to prevent unwanted early and repeat pregnancies and to help adolescents become productive, independent contributors to family and community life. (b) Therefore, the purposes of this Act are— (1) to establish better coordination, integration, and linkages among existing programs in order to expand and improve the availability of, and access to, needed comprehensive community services which assist in preventing unwanted initial and repeat pregTiancies among adolescents, enable pregnant adolescents to obtain proper care and assist pregnant adolescents and adolescent parents to become productive independent contributors to family and community life, with primary emphasis on services to adolescents who are 17 years of age and under and are pregnant or who are parents; (2) to expand the availability of such services that are essential to that objective; and (3) to promote innovative, comprehensive, and integrated approaches to the delivery of such services.

Adolescent pregnancies. 42 USC 300a-21.

DEFINITIONS

SEC. 602. For the purposes of this Act, the term— 42 USC (1) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Department of 300a-22. Health, Education, and Welfare;

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