Group pays teens to avoid getting pregnant

Teen pregnancy rates in North Carolina have reached egregious numbers in recent years. More than 20,000 teens between the age of 15-19 got pregnant in 2008 alone. A group called “College Bound Sisters” emerged in 1997 to help alleviate the problem. What does this group do? They pay teens to promise they will practice safe sex and go to college.

The girls who join the College Bound Sisters meet for an hour and a half once a week to learn about abstinence, contraceptives, and college preparation. In addition to sex education, the girls also learn a few self-defense techniques. All of the girls have sisters or family members that became pregnant before turning 18.

Most of the girls attend the meetings due to the money incentive. The girls each earn $7 a week to attend the meetings. They also get and additional $5 a week for transportation, and $25 for each girl they recruit into the program. In fact, girls can earn more than $2,200 throughout their experience with College Bound Sisters.

But there is a catch. The girls will not be able to see a single cent of the money until they enroll in college. In fact, if they drop out of the program they will never see any of the money they made while participating in College Bound Sisters.

“We are paying them to avoid pregnancy, to graduate from high school and enroll in college. Because it is a short-term and long-term incentive for them to change their life trajectory,” said Hazel Brown, coordinator of the College Bound Sisters.

Naturally, a program like this has its fair share of nay sayers.

“To pay someone not to do something wrong, or not to make a mistake like that, that’s a concern,” said Bill Wright, Chairman of the Republic Party in Guilford County.

Wright’s main problem is the fact that tax dollars are being used to fund the program. College Bound Sisters runs on a grant of $75,000 a year. Wright says he rather see the money come from civic organizations, churches, and other non-profit groups.

Personally, College Bound Sisters is a great idea. There is so much wasteful spending in each state. Why not use a small chunk of public funding on something that will actually help the community? Spending tax dollars on this program makes more sense than spending money on abstinence-only education, which has proven to fail time after time.

In addition, there is nothing better than motivating teens to pursue higher education. Teen pregnancies cost taxpayers more than $9.1 billion each year, and it could cost taxpayers as much as $250,000 when you consider 18 years of Medicaid and other assistance. It makes sense to fund groups that are effective in preventing teen pregnancies.

The only thing I hope these girls understand is that they shouldn’t expect money to do the right thing. They should learn that doing the right thing will lead to a better quality of life.