Restore the Community Challenge Grant (CCG) Program in California

Restore the Community Challenge Grant (CCG)

Dear Governor Brown,

We are vehemently opposed to the elimination of the Community Challenge Grant (CCG) and call on Governor Jerry Brown to restore it for fiscal year 2011-2012 and future fiscal years. While we understand that California is in a dire situation with the budget, we believe that eliminating this statewide teen pregnancy prevention program is fiscally and morally unsound. The teen birth rate in California is at an all-time low, thanks to programs like CCG. Cutting this program now would undo over a decade work of progress and send California back to where it was in 1991, as the state with the highest birth rate in the country.


Here are some reasons why CCG should be restored:

· CCG is one of the most successful prevention programs in the state. Data and evaluation results indicate a major impact on teen pregnancy rates, making it the lowest teen pregnancy rate California has seen in decades. Great progress has been made but much more work remains.

· At least 50% of teen mothers do not finish high school. Eliminating CCG will increase that drop-out rate, leading to a less prepared workforce and a poorer education system.

· For every dollar spent on teen pregnancy prevention, California saves $3.75 dollars on intervention, such as health care for pregnant teens and their babies and public assistance to support families of teen parents.

· Teen pregnancy rates in California and the US are still unacceptably high, and we need to maintain a strong focus on this issue to ensure that all California teens have the opportunity to complete their education and attain their goals.

· Programs funded by the Community Challenge Grant program include many after-school and leadership development programs. Because of this, their elimination would also affect crime rates, high school drop-out rates, and more.


Here’s a look at a local CCG Program:

Operation Samahan’s Youth 2 Youth Center (Y2Y) is a CCG funded program that served approximately 3000 youth the teen center last fiscal year. We provided over 300 youth with at least 8 hours of comprehensive sex education, trained 33 youth serving professionals on how to use technology in promoting adolescent sexual health through a train the trainer event, provided 27 high school and college age youth with volunteer and internship opportunities, and gave one time health presentations to approximately 1500 students in FY2009-2010 alone. The Y2Y also outreached to over 11,000 people last fiscal year, informing and referring thousands of youth and adults to services like Family PACT. CCG programs like the Y2Y not only provide youth with the knowledge and skills to responsibly deal with their sexuality, it also provides a safe space for young people and empowers them to reach successful adulthood. Eliminating CCG would have devastating effects on the youth who participate in and benefit from programs throughout the state.


The budget cannot be balanced solely on the backs of low-income children and families, and Republicans and Democrats alike must assume their responsibility to do what’s best for ALL Californians. We cannot allow partisan bickering and childish ploys to decimate this great state, which has so long been considered a leader in the effort to reduce teen births—both first births and second births. CCG funds programs that provide sex education in schools, after-school leadership development programs, male involvement programs and other creative, community-driven programs. It has been very successful, serving over 100,000 youths per year. Participants have shown a reduction in risky sexual behaviors and an increase in contraceptive use, including condoms and birth control. It works.


Supporting these programs is a win-win for everyone; teens have more opportunity if they delay parenting or a second birth. They are more likely to complete high school, more likely to go on to college or a vocational school, and more likely to have a good job. Children born to teen parents are more likely to suffer health, academic, and economic challenges, so providing support to help prevent teen pregnancy as well as support to these vulnerable young families is critical to improving the health and well-being of all Californians.

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