Foster care system is not the cause of higher teen pregnancy rates

Thanks to a recent report, Texas is one of the first states to actually know how many youths in foster care are pregnant or parents already. Of the 7,090 females ages 11 to 18 in foster care in 2017, 332 were pregnant and 218 were parents. Foster youths are approximately five times more likely to get pregnant compared with all youths.

Hearing that youths in foster care are five times more likely to get pregnant is shocking, disappointing and something that we cannot ignore. However, it is important to clarify that the Texas foster care system itself is not causing higher pregnancy rates.

The rates of pregnancy for foster youths are similar to other high-risk groups such as youths involved in the juvenile justice system, youths who have substance use and/or mental health issues, youths who are homeless and, although it surprises many, youths who are LGBTQ. Anytime you take a group of young people who have faced some adversity and compare that group with all youths, you will end up with differences in life outcomes. It is an apples-to-oranges comparison, and it tells only a piece of the story.

The other piece of the story is rooted in a much deeper complexity about why adversity exists for some youths and not others.

To tell a more complete story, we have to be willing to talk about uncomfortable things such as poverty, race and inequality, which not only are risk factors for teen pregnancy, but are also risk factors for entering foster care. Young mothers coming from impoverished communities often see motherhood as their rite of passage for becoming an adult. Foster youths come from the same communities and share the same ideas about adulthood. Motherhood may not be planned, but it is generally welcomed, embraced and seen as an opportunity to be a grownup. Because of this reality, access to educational and occupational opportunities is just as important as access to sexual health care.

Sexual trauma is an even more complex piece of this story. Although most youths come into foster care due to neglectful supervision, many have experienced sexual abuse or witnessed violence within their biological families. They may never disclose this prior abuse. Sexual trauma becomes steeped in shame, confusion and self-blame, which ultimately leads to negative sexual health and unhealthy relationships. Thus, sex education must be coupled with therapeutic approaches that simultaneously help young people process their trauma histories.

Foster parents and caseworkers are humans, and for most adult humans, there is discomfort talking to children about sex, particularly if we know that the child has experienced sexual trauma. Every child needs to have ongoing conversations about sexual health, healthy relationships and their future plans.

The idea that there is one “sex talk” or a couple of classes in school is inadequate for every child. Foster parents, caseworkers and every adult who interacts with foster youths should be trained in having trauma-informed discussions with foster youths about sex. However, successful training cannot be a punitive requirement. Rather, it should focus on building confidence and skills of the adult and provide ongoing support for adults and technical assistance for agencies.

There is not one simple solution to this issue, and no solution can be housed in just one entity, group or agency. We can, however, acknowledge the complexity and start to develop and test innovative strategies for Texas foster youths. Most importantly, we have to use strategies that recognize the impact trauma has on young people. We have to build opportunities for youths to become successful adults so they will be successful parents. We also cannot ignore high pregnancy rates in other marginalized populations who also need help.

But most importantly, we have to remember that the foster care system does not increase the likelihood of pregnancy. Trauma and inequality increase the risk, and our solutions have to be centered on addressing the more uncomfortable realities that come with thinking about trauma and inequality.

Monica Faulkner is a research associate professor in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and the director of the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing at The University of Texas at Austin.