Adolescent Family Life Program (AFLP) Fact Sheet

MO-07-0002 AFLP

Goals 

• Adolescents, their families and their social support systems will be served by effective, comprehensive networks of local programs and agencies.
• Adolescents will be supported through continuous case management in developing a sense of themselves as worthwhile, capable individuals and parents.
• Relationships among adolescents, their families and their support networks will be healthy and mutually enhancing.
• Adolescents served by AFLP will use health care resources to achieve and maintain optimal physical and mental health.  The pregnant and/or parenting adolescents will utilize available services for their children and partners.
• Adolescents and their parents will make healthy lifestyle decisions for themselves and their children.
• Adolescents will deliver healthy babies.
• The adolescents served by AFLP, their children and partners will live, work, and go to school in safe, healthy environments.
• Adolescents and their partners will plan for the prevention of unintentional pregnancies.

Problems

• The incidence of premature births and low birth weight babies is much greater for adolescents than for babies born to mothers age 20-35.
• Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school and hence more likely to remain on welfare.
• Children of teen parents are more likely to become teen parents themselves. 
• The children of these teens and their families are more likely to remain in poverty.

Program Activities

• AFLP services are available to pregnant/parenting adolescents females, and to parenting or expectant adolescent males up the 19th birthday. Approximately 3,061 teens are served each year. 
• Provision of case management services including assessment of adolescents’ strengths and needs, and development of individualized service plans. 
• Monthly contacts that include home visitation support the teens’ educational and career goals and strengthen their self-sufficiency skills. 
• Promotion of health and safety practices. 
• Assisting teens and their children to access appropriate services including: 
  • Medical Care (including prenatal and postpartum care) 
  • Family Planning
  • School Support Services
  • Social Services
  • Substance Abuse Intervention
  • Mental Health Services
  • Parenting Education
  • Health Education
  • Domestic/Relationship Violence
  • Legal Assistance
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Housing Assistance
  • Nutrition Counseling
  • Oral Health
• Working collaboratively with state and local agencies to develop community awareness of the problem of adolescent pregnancy and improve services for teen parents.

Who Benefits

• Teen parents, their children and families, and society as a whole.

Who Provides Services

• Adolescent Family Life Programs are located in over 31 counties in the State.  To locate assistance in your area, please see our AFLP Directors and Coordinator Directory. These programs provide services in county health departments, county departments of social services, hospitals, schools, and community-based organizations.  

Funding

• State General Funds, Federal Title V MCH Block Grant Funds, and Federal Title XIX (Medicaid) Funds. Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Program administers AFLP. Please see the Adolescent Family Life Program for more information.