All across America, teenage pregnancy is an infection crippling many youths from fully experiencing the beauty and enjoyment of a childhood, prior to tossing them into the realm of adulthood. Ill informed, moreover unprepared for what parenthood offers them; in turn we have babies having babies. The South Bronx in New York City is one of those areas with a high rate of teen pregnancies. There are no stigmas attached to having an infant in this area. It tends to be considered a way of life and a sign of growth for many young girls, while many of these teenage fathers walk away from their responsibilities. Yet these children are unaware of what is involved in raising a child.

Our society is responsible for the education of their people. This includes their children. Teen pregnancy is a constant health and policy disquiet for the public, because these mothers are at risk of unhealthy births, limited education, fewer economic resources and public costs of $9.1 billion annually. The highest rates have come from African American and Hispanic females between the ages of ten and nineteen. The South Bronx has double the national average for teen pregnancy. Poverty, insufficient jobs and education are the main causes for this problem.

Producing a program utilizing an infant stimulator doll, plus a structured curriculum designed to teach these youth what having a family and taking care of a household embodies is what our children need. The latest models offer the most realistic infant care experience possible. The baby is designed to look, feel, sound, and respond like a real infant. This experiential learning provides as a truly effective teaching tool. Real world experience like on the job training. The youth will have a fulltime job that will consist of their academic classes, which they will be paid for in school bucks. During this time they will participate in the yearlong program, while being observed by staff members and parents.

Teen pregnancy is a prevalent problem all over the United States, which is causing many teenagers to dropout of school, primarily among the girls. Many schools that were designed for pregnant teenage girls were closed because of their low attendance rate. Furthermore, it causes a dependency on the welfare system and many young parents lack the adequate parenting skills to attend to their child. According to Braun and the National Vital Statistics Report 1999-2000, predominantly eighty-five percent of teenage pregnancies are unplanned or not intended. Although many teenage pregnancies occur despite the use of contraception, a significant portion is the result of unprotected intercourse, particularly among younger teenagers.

The National Early Intervention Longintudal Study, in of June, 2004, stated more than forty percent of young women in the US become pregnant before they reach the age of twenty, producing the highest teenage pregnancy rate of any industrialized nation. This is lowering their possibilities for the future, by trapping them in a repeated family cycle that is hard to brake. In 2000 Braun reported, the teenage pregnancy rate in the United States was more than twice that of England, Wales and Canada, and almost ten times that of Japan. The United States is the world’s superpower, yet we have been unable to stop our children from damaging their futures. In learning important life lessons, reality is the best teacher. The most effective way for adolescents to learn about the demands and consequences of parenting is through first hand experience. Once parenting becomes a reality, teens are able to refer back to the experience when faced with life changing decisions.

Some studies indicate a significant positive effect on the participants of this type of program. Utilizing the infant stimulators in a real world way by adding additional factors to give children a look into what their future could be like with a job, child and household is the goal. This should give the children an opportunity to think about the long-term affects of having sex at an early age, in addition to what other things are affected by teenage pregnancies. Many times children don’t think before they act.