April 15, 2007

Media Stories

Abstinence Groups Try To Maintain Funds
Associated Press, April 10, 2007

States Abstain From Federal Sex-ed Funds (free registration required)
The Los Angeles (CA) Times, April 8, 2007

Abstinence is Best Birth Control
The University of Southern Indiana Shield, April 5, 2007

Abstinence Programs Favored, and Work
The Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer, April 4, 2007

Abstinence Program May Be Worthwhile
The Wheeling (WV) News-Register, April 4, 2007

Expert: Risky Teen Behavior is All in the Brain
USA Today, April 4, 2007

Welfare, Abstinence Chief Resigns
Associated Press, April 2, 2007

Magazines That Became Only Skin Deep
The Washington Post, April 1, 2007

Sex Lady's Lesson: Save Yourself
The Dallas (TX) Morning News, March 31, 2007

Most Students Present for Sex-Ed Class
The Washington Times, March 27, 2007

Young, Female and Taking a Stand Against Provocative Fashion
The Washington Post, March 25, 2007

Funding Opportunities

The National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth maintains a listing of organizations identified as potential funding sources for abstinence education programs. The listing includes grant descriptions and contact information.

Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) Program – Family and Youth Services Bureau; Administration on Children, Youth and Families; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Grant No. HHS-2007-ACF-ACYF-AE-0099)
The purpose of the CBAE program is to educate young people and create an environment within communities that supports teen decisions to postpone sexual activity until marriage. The anticipated number of awards is 50 to 60, with funding ranges between $250,000 and $600,000.
Deadline for applications: April 23, 2007

Transitional Living Program and Maternity Group Homes – Administration for Children and Families (Grant No. HHS-2007-ACF-ACYF-CX-0111)
Maternity group homes will provide a safe shelter for up to 18 months of services with adult supervision, parenting education, child care, life and interpersonal skill building, career counseling and job skills, counseling, and medical care as appropriate. Other services may include transportation, abstinence education, family planning, and pregnancy prevention services.
Deadline for applications: May 8, 2007

The Influence of Religiosity and Spirituality on Health Risk Behaviors in Children and Adolescents – National Institutes of Health
The purpose of this program is to study the effects of spirituality and religiosity on early alcohol and drug use and sexual behavior, particularly in the area of HIV transmission.
Deadline for applications: June 5, 2007

Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Demonstration Projects – Office of Public Health and Science (Grant No. PA-APH-07-001)
The primary purpose of the demonstration program is to find effective means, within the context of the family, of reaching pre-adolescent and adolescent children before they become sexually active and encouraging them to abstain from premarital sexual activity. Programs may also reach out to adolescents who have already become sexually active, encouraging them to return to abstinence and supporting them in doing so.
Deadline for applications: June 1, 2007

Recent Research

Depression, Stress, and Social Support as Predictors of High Risk Sexual Behaviors and STIs in Young Women (October 2006)
In a sample of 403 adolescent girls and young women (14 to 25 years old), the authors found that high levels of depression, high levels of stress, and low levels of social support were each associated with high-risk sexual behaviors and sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. The authors, writing in the Journal of Adolescent Health (Volume 39:601-603), found that adolescents (ages 14 to 19) were even more vulnerable to these factors than young women (ages 20 to 25).

An Evaluation of an Abstinence-Only Sex Education Curriculum: An 18-Month Follow-up (October 2006)
The authors of this article, published in the Journal of School Health (Volume 76(8):414-422), evaluated both short- and long-term effects of a five-week abstinence education program. Compared to nonparticipants, both middle school and high school participants reported (a) more positive attitudes toward abstinence; (b) greater intent to remain abstinent; and (c) lower rates of sexual involvement (ever and in the past month).

Upcoming Events

Abstinence Education Grantees Regional Training
CBAE Grantees and State Title V Coordinators in Regions 8 through 10
May 24–25, 2007
San Francisco, CA – The Hilton Fisherman's Wharf
Deadline for conference registration is May 9, 2007
Deadline for hotel registration is April 27, 2007
Contact: Frank Bazela at abstinence@pal-tech.com
Note: Each grantee is invited to send one person; participation is limited to the first 50 people who register.

Abstinence Education Grantees Regional Training
CBAE Grantees and State Title V Coordinators in Regions 5 through 7
June 28–29, 2007
Chicago, IL – Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro
Deadline for conference registration is June 13, 2007
Deadline for hotel registration is May 29, 2007
Contact: Frank Bazela at abstinence@pal-tech.com
Note: Each grantee is invited to send one person; participation is limited to the first 50 people who register.

Other News/Misc.

Capacity Building Assistance Available to Faith-Based and Community Organizations
This fact sheet provides descriptions of and contact information for intermediary organizations that provide technical assistance to faith-based and community organizations. These intermediaries provide assistance in many areas, including funding, program operation, staff development, outreach activities, and program replication.

Job Opportunity – Abstinence Education Curriculum Reviewer – Medical Accuracy
FYSB is seeking a medical doctor or registered nurse to conduct a review to determine medical accuracy in curricula identified by CBAE grant applicants for use in their abstinence education programs. Please direct questions and submit resumes to tbrown@dixongroup.com or fax to (202) 269-9575.

Putting Positive Youth Development into Practice: A Resource Guide – National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth/Family and Youth Services Bureau
This publication describes the history and basic theory behind Positive Youth Development (PYD), and includes strategies for implementing PYD in youth programs.

Focus on Staff

New Staff Section! Do you have a question for your CBAE program specialist or grant specialist? Here is contact information for the FYSB staff members available to assist recipients of CBAE funding:

PROGRAM SPECIALISTS
(for technical questions about program delivery)

Scott Riggins (scott.riggins@acf.hhs.gov)
(202) 401-9252
Region 1: CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
Region 4: AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, TN, NC, SC

Phyllis Henderson (phyllis.henderson@acf.hhs.gov)
(202) 205-8188
Region 2: NJ and NY
Region 3: DE, MD, PA, VA, Washington, D.C., WV
Region 8: CO, MT, ND, SD, WY, UT
Region 9: AZ, CA, HI, NV
Region 10: AK, ID, OR, WA

Lillian Sowah (lillian.sowah@acf.hhs.gov)
(202) 401-5542
Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI

Bridget Shea (bridget.shea@acf.hhs.gov)
(202) 401-5542
Region 6: AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
Region 7: IA, KS, MO, NE

GRANT SPECIALISTS
(for questions about program funding)

Lisa Dammar (lisa.dammar@acf.hhs.gov)
(202) 205-8821
Grant Numbers: 90AE0001 - 90AE0080; 90AE0144 – 90AE0191

Valerie Stevenson (valerie.stevenson@acf.hhs.gov)
(202) 401-7231
Grant Numbers: 90AE0081 – 90AE0139; 90AE0141 – 90AE0143

Quote for the Day

"Teens who abstain from sex while in high school are less likely to be depressed, more likely to graduate from college, and more likely to have happy marriages as adults."

(Robert Rector, the Heritage Foundation, quoted on MTV.com, August 2, 2006)