APPC Legislative Agenda 2004

MESSAGE FROM

THE ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY PREVENTION COALITION OF NORTH CAROLINA

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2004

The 2004 Legislative Session convened Monday, May 10. There are many funding items at stake -- funding for pregnancy prevention programs, for the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina (APPCNC), and for additional school nurses. Since more than half of the $3.3 million for teen pregnancy prevention, all of the $127,500 for the APPCNC, and all of the funding for Reducing Out-of-Wedlock Births comes from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant, these funds must be renewed or appropriated during the 2004 Session.

Recorded below are the prevention priorities for the 2004 Legislative Session, and your assistance is needed to secure the funds for these programs and services.

I. Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina -- Restore $ 150,000 in state funds for the APPCNC

§ Currently, APPCNC gets $127,500 in TANF funds. Prior to 2003, the organization received state funds, and prior to the cut in 2002, those state funds totaled $150,000. The $127,500 represents approximately 30% of the APPCNC’s overall budget; however, that money leverages other resources through national, state and local partnerships through which technical support and resources are provided to local programs around the state.

II. Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives – Secure at least $1.5 million in TANF funds.

§ Currently, 62 local programs receive full or partial support from the $3.3 million plus per year that supports adolescent pregnancy prevention projects – many of these projects are in the poorest communities with the highest teen pregnancy rates. The funds are used to support primary prevention (prevention of first pregnancies) and secondary prevention (prevention of second pregnancies, including support and encouragement to teen parents in completing high school or GED requirements, and in the improvement of parenting skills). Before these funds were cut in 2002, seventy-one (71) local programs were being funded.)

III. Out-of-Wedlock Birth Prevention -- Secure at least $1 million in TANF funds

§ Currently, 100% of this funding is allocated to local health departments throughout the state where it is used to reduce out-of-wedlock births. In 2002 when the TANF funding totaled $1.4 million, an additional 6,306 low-income women were being served annually in family planning clinics and these services helped to avert an estimated 900 out-of-wedlock births each year and over $9.5 million in Medicaid expenses. (In 2001 before the cut, 7,200 additional women were being served.)

Other

§ School Nurses -- Support $5 million appropriation

The Governor's Recommended Budget Adjustments for 2004-2005 contains a recommended appropriation of $5 million to fund 100 school-nurse positions. The plan is to move toward the national recommendation of 1 nurse for every 750 students, and by phasing-in nurse positions beginning with 100 positions in 2004-2005. In addition to the $5 million appropriation, $6.5 million in start-up grants will be made available to local school systems over a three-year period from available federal block grant funds.

PLEASE START CONTACTING LEGISLATORS WHO REPRESENT YOU, AND ASK LEGISLATORS

TO SUPPORT THESE IMPORTANT APPROPRIATION ITEMS.

Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina

10001 Main Street, Suite D --- Southern Village

Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516

Telephone: 919-932-9885 Fax: 919-932-7223

http://www.appcnc.org/