President Clinton is fighting to give more of our young people the opportunity to make the most of their lives.   To address the serious problem of teen pregnancy, the Clinton Administration is taking actions that recognize the fundamental obligation of all Americans to exercise personal responsibility, while expanding opportunities for at-risk young people to make positive life choices. Government alone cannot solve this complex problem. President Clinton is challenging our business and community leaders to join together to take action that will protect our children and strengthen our families.

The President has shown leadership in combating teen pregnancy by:

	Challenging leaders across the nation to come together and help young people secure a better future for themselves. In response, the private, not-for-profit National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has been formed.
	Supporting communities in offering young people positive alternatives to early sexual behavior and parenting by: Improving schooling for disadvantaged students, coordinating health and social services, and providing school-to-work opportunities to increase economic self-sufficiency. Creating the Safe Futures Program (1995) to provide nearly $8 million per year to six jurisdictions for delinquency prevention and intervention programs for at-risk and delinquent youth. Implementing the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Act to help local school districts in high-need areas to coordinate violence- and drug-prevention programs.
	Ending welfare as we know it by signing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act. This bill includes time-limits and work requirements, gives states incentives to create jobs for welfare recipients, increases funding for child care, strengthens child support enforcement, and maintains the federal guarantee of nutrition programs and Medicaid coverage for pregnant women, children, and the disabled. Even before signing national welfare reform, the Clinton Administration granted waivers to 43 states to reform welfare on their own -- making work and responsibility a way of life for 75 percent of all welfare recipients.
	Collected a record $11 billion in child support in 1995 from non-custodial parents (a 40% increase since 1992) by aggressively enforcing child support laws.
	Taken executive action (May 1996) to require teenage mothers to stay in school and to sign personal responsibility contracts or lose their welfare benefits.
	Appointing Dr. Henry Foster (founder of the “I Have A Future” teen pregnancy prevention program) to serve as Senior Advisor to the President on teen pregnancy and related youth issues. Dr. Foster will work with community organizations across the country to give young people the tools they need to build responsible and productive lives.

Building on Our Progress

President Clinton will continue to support policies that promote responsible behavior on the part of our young people, and he will work to provide them with greater opportunities by:

	Fighting for his $30 million teen pregnancy prevention initiative included in his fiscal-year 1997 budget. These funds will be used to evaluate and implement promising prevention strategies in communities that have demonstrated a commitment to community problem solving.
	Continuing to urge leaders from all sectors of society to marshal their resources on behalf of America’s youth. The Administration will work in partnership with the newly formed National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
	Continuing to expand educational and economic opportunities, giving our young people a future they can say “yes” to and the ability to make wise personal decisions about their lives.