Feature Story One: Borromeo Housing Supports and Empowers Homeless, Single Teen Mothers
Despite teen pregnancy rates falling, America still has one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy in the world.
Teen pregnancy, as defined by the American Pregnancy Association, is a pregnancy in women under the age of 20, regardless of marital status.
Arlington, V.A. based Borromeo Housing supports homeless and juvenile mothers. Started in 1988 by Arlington County residents, this non-profit has helped approximately 1,000 young women and their infants.
How can you help? Borromeo Housing needs donations and volunteers. To donate, click here. To volunteer, click here.
Borromeo Housing (BHI) mission is to help homeless young mothers become self-reliant in the community through a focus on education, transitional housing and child development.
Listen to an in-depth radio interview below.
According to a report released in August 2017 by the Guttmacher Institute, here are some recent statistics for 2013 on teenage pregnancy in the U.S.
- Over 615,000 teens between ages 15 and 19 became pregnant in 2014
- Teen mothers account for 8 percent of all births in the U.S
- Out of all teen pregnancies, 82 percent are unintended
- Two-thirds of teen pregnancies occur between ages 18 to 19 years old
[epq-quote align=”align-right”]The center reports a 90 percent success rate upon graduation, with a majority of young mothers moving on to create stable, independent homes for their children.[/epq-quote]
Borromeo Housing provides homeless teen mothers two years of sheltered care while they attend school or pursue employment, observe curfews, help with household chores, and attend classes on parenting, child development, household and money management, sex education, job readiness and even SAT prep.
Borromeo Housing is one of the only comprehensive transitional housing programs in Northern Virginia for homeless young mothers.
A snapshot of festive life at Borromeo Housing.