Chris Murphy, New Britain Teen Pregnancy Prevention Center Announce Federal Funding

Press Release

Today, Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) visited Pathways-Senderos in New Britain to announce that he has secured nearly $120,000 for their teen pregnancy prevention program. Pathways-Senderos assists kids from low-income families in New Britain with graduating from high school, going to college, gaining valuable job skills, and avoiding teen pregnancy through a successful youth development model and teen pregnancy prevention program.

"Helping Pathways-Senderos is an investment in the future of the greater New Britain community. I am thrilled to have worked with this organization to secure this funding because I know it will help kids stay on the path towards a diploma," said Murphy.

Pathways-Senderos has been working for the past five years to obtain this funding. Despite repeated threats from President Bush to veto spending bills passed by Congress, Murphy was able to secure this funding and it was included in the omnibus appropriations bill signed into law by the President on December 26.

Murphy was joined today by Pathways-Senderos Executive Director RoseAnne Bilodeau and Shaniqua King-Barrington, a junior at E.C. Goodwin Technical School and member of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Youth Leadership Team.

"We are extremely grateful to Congressman Murphy for making this grant award possible for us. These funds will provide for the expansion of our services from 50 to 60 girls and boys. Teen pregnancy prevention is a serious issue for the United States and for the city of New Britain, where over the past few years, rising numbers of births to teens have caused our city to be ranked second or third in the state," said Bilodeau.

According to Bilodeau, research shows that children born to teen parents are more likely to live in poverty, fail in school, suffer family violence and sexual abuse, or become teen parents. Further, boys born to teen moms are more likely to be incarcerated in their lifetimes than are boys born to older mothers. Premature parenting can cost taxpayer billions of dollars annually, while simultaneously costing an incalculable amount in the loss of human potential.

"Pathways-Senderos' proves that long term, comprehensive, holistic services provide the motivation and skill-building that at-risk youngsters need to avoid the pitfalls of parenting too soon," said Bilodeau.

"This is our second home, especially for those participants who don't exactly have a peaceful home to go to after school, and I can't express enough gratitude to stress how happy we are for the riches, and I am swollen with pride because I am a figure in that ten student increase that rose from fifty to sixty provided for by these funds," said King-Barrington.

To learn more about the organization, go to http://www.pathways-senderos.com/.

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