Breaking the Cycle: Pregnancy Prevention Strategies and Policy Recommendations for Foster Youth in California
This paper conducts a critical examination of the ongoing issue of teen pregnancy in the United States, a public health and public policy concern that affects thousands of teens each year. Despite the overall decline in teen pregnancy rates nationwide and in California, foster youth remain disproportionately affected. This population experiences significantly higher rates of adolescent pregnancy compared to the general population. I conduct a policy analysis of two key legislative efforts, the California Healthy Youth Act (CYHA) of 2016 and the Foster Youth Sexual Health Education Act (FYSHEA) of 2017 also known as Senate Bill 89 (SB89). This study evaluates the extent to which these laws have been implemented and their observable impacts on the teen birth rate. Findings suggest that while the CYHA has shown a reduction in the teen birth rate, due to its promotion of comprehensive sexual health education for the general public-school population, FYSHEA’s impact remains unclear due to a lack of disaggregated data, limited publicly available data, and weak accountability mechanisms. This study sheds light on the constant gaps in state oversight and the absence of an effective implementation strategy. This paper offers policy recommendations to improve service and care to ensure that California’s foster youth receive the reproductive health education they are legally entitled to.