NWLC Urges Congress to Act on Behalf of Pregnant and Parenting Teens

Ms. Foundation grantee the National Women's Law Center is pushing Congress to improve the lives of America's youth by passing the Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act [pdf].

According to NWLC, the legislation aims to "[improve] high school graduation rates and access to post-secondary educational and career opportunities for pregnant and parenting students." In a letter to like-minded organizations, NWLC wrote,

The legislation will set up a grant program to provide needed funds to states and local school districts. Among other things, grantees will be expected to offer academic support and related services to pregnant and parenting students, to designate a coordinator to oversee the education of pregnant and parenting students, and to revise school policies to remove barriers, some of which discriminate based on pregnancy in violation of Title IX. The bill aims to change the culture at schools, so that these students are no longer stigmatized and instead are encouraged to reach their educational goals. It also will help parenting students secure affordable child care and transportation services, and will invest resources in outreach to increase the enrollment and retention of pregnant and parenting students in school.

For more information about this critical piece of legislation, read NWLC's press release on the topic.