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 Miriam’s House, Inc.
"The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him." Exodus 2:4 (NLT)
"Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. ‘Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?’ she asked." Exodus 2:7 (NLT)
We wish to provide a safe environment for unwed mothers-to-be and their soon-to-arrive newborns. We wish to care for these mothers and their children spiritually, medically, and emotionally. We wish to nurture these newborns and to prepare these mothers for the "new" lifestyles ahead. We wish to provide vocational training to encourage self-sufficiency.
By entering into a two-year commitment with every mother and child, we wish to enable them to complete, or receive, the following:
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A full term pregnancy
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Individual and group counseling
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Abstinence and sexual education
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Prenatal and postnatal care
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Vocational training/Job placement
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Love and encouragement
The Scary Statistics of Teen Sexuality:
Each year approximately one million U.S. teenagers become pregnant — 11 percent of all women aged 15–19 and 20 percent of those who are sexually active (AGI, 1998).
About 40 percent of American women become pregnant before the age of 20 (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 1998).
About 78 percent of teenage pregnancies are unintended, accounting for one-quarter of all accidental pregnancies per year (AGI, 1998).
Among sexually experienced teens, approximately eight percent of 14-year-olds, 18 percent of 15–17-year-olds, and 22 percent of 18–19-year-olds become pregnant each year (AGI, 1998).
Each year, approximately 19 percent of black women, 13 percent of Hispanic women, and eight percent of white women aged 15–19 become pregnant (AGI, 1994).
Success of Maternity Homes:
Maternity homes allow these teenage girls to have another choice, other than abortion. Carrying these children to fullterm is not an easy alternative to accomplish, BUT maternity homes provide prenatal and postnatal care for the mothers and their children. Also, love and encouragement provide an environment that is conducive to stable healthy circumstances that promote the successful completion of our programs. Vocational training and job placement will make these "kids" productive, self-sufficient members of our community!!! MIRIAM’S HOUSE IS A HOPE IN CHRIST!!
Repeat Teenage Pregnancy in North Carolina
By Paul A. Buescher, Ph.D.
Widespread concern about the social, economic, and health consequences of teenage pregnancy has led to statewide efforts to reduce those pregnancies. Girls under age 18 are a special concern because they have not reached the age of legal consent, they are often less mature biologically, and they are less apt to have adequate support systems. Narrowing the focus a bit, Governor Hunt’s 1995 "agenda for action" supports actions to discourage teenage parents from having another child, until they are "married, have completed their education, and are ready to raise a strong family."1 To the extent that effective family planning and other programs can help accomplish that mission, more babies will be born healthy and live in a healthy environment. With the above concerns in mind, repeat teenage pregnancy is the focus of this statistical brief, with an emphasis on "unmarried girls under age 18." In North Carolina, those repeat pregnancies are considered sentinel health events, meaning that the occurrence of a single event is a matter of concern to the health community. 2
Statewide Data
In 1996, 6,908 girls under age 20 had a second or higher-order pregnancy resulting in a live birth (72%), induced abortion (27%), or fetal death (1%). Those events are detailed in the accompanying table according to age, marital status, race, and outcome. They represent 31 percent of all teenage pregnancies in North Carolina in 1996. Among the 6,908 repeat pregnancies to girls under age 20, more than 70 percent (4,916) were to unmarried girls; of those, one-fourth of the girls (1,247) were under age 18. Those 1,247 events are further characterized as follows:
Repeat pregnancies represented 17 percent of all pregnancies to unmarried girls under age 18.
One-third (417) of the girls were white, two-thirds (825) were minority races.
Minorities (78%) were more likely than whites (71%) to have a live birth.
Alternatively, whites (28%) were more likely than minorities (21%) to have an abortion.
In 1995, the statewide number reported was 1,262, which compares to the 1,247 figure for 1996. These numbers equate to a decline of only 1.2 percent in 1996. However, the decline from 1990 to 1996, from 1,755 to 1,247, was a more substantial 29 percent. At least some of that decline has been attributed to the community-based Adolescent Parenting Program. 1 The program now operates in 27 counties.3
County-Level Data
Because of their status as sentinel health events, the counties’ numbers of " repeat pregnancies to unmarried girls under age 18" are routinely reported to local health departments.2 The hope is that these young unmarried girls will be targeted for appropriate health education and family planning intervention.
For the 1992-96 periods, the map below depicts each county’s percentage repeat pregnancies among total pregnancies to unmarried girls under age 18. The choice of map categories was based upon visual inspection of the 100 county percentages. The county percentages depicted below ranged from zero in Yancey and Hyde counties to 25.0 in Camden with a state average of 17.7 percent. The 15 counties having the highest percentages are listed below the map. These counties should be especially concerned about high levels of repeat pregnancy among their young unmarried girls. Note that eight of the 15 counties have an Adolescent Parenting Program.
Percentage Repeat Pregnancies
Among Total Pregnancies to Unmarried Girls Under Age 18 North Carolina Residents 1992-96
Counties with Repeat Pregnancies At Least 20 Percent of Total Pregnancies to Unmarried Girls Under Age 18, 1992-96
County Percent County Percent:
Camden 25.0 *Orange 21.0
*Durham 21.0 Pamlico 20.4
*Edgecombe 21.3 Person 20.0
*Forsyth 21.6 Polk 21.2
*Guilford 21.6 Scotland 22.4
Harnett 20.9 *Vance 23.2
*Lenoir 22.6 Wilson 20.9
*Mecklenburg 21.4
*County has an Adolescent Parenting Program. 3
Repeat Pregnancies Under Age 20 - N.C. Residents 1996 Showing Age and Marital Status:
Under 18 18-19
Race and Outcome Married Not Married Unknown Married Not Married Unknown
All Races
Abortion 20 294 78 104 1,083 299
Live Birth 204 937 0 1,276 2,554 0
Fetal Death 1 16 0 10 32 0
Total 225 1,247 78 1,390 3,669 299
Whites
Abortion 13 117 24 66 471 117
Live Birth 178 295 0 1,073 882 0
Fetal Death 1 5 0 9 12 0
Total 192 417 24 1,148 1,365 117
Minorities
Abortion 6 172 50 36 601 168
Live Birth 26 642 0 203 1,672 0
Fetal Death 0 11 0 1 20 0
Total 32 825 50 240 2,293 168
References:
1 A North Carolina Agenda for Action: Governor Jim Hunt, 1996. Paid for by Citizens for Jim Hunt, 1996.
2 North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, State Center for Health Statistics. Guide for a Community Diagnosis: A Report for Local Health Departments. 1995 Sentinel Health Events by County. August 1997.
3 Adolescent Parenting Program Directory provided by Sidney Atkinson, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. FAX November 26, 1997.
4 United States Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives, DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 91-50212. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, September 1990.
Comments: Healthy People 20004 identifies two principal objectives in the area of family planning: to reduce pregnancies among teenagers under age 18, and to reduce the number of unintended (unwanted or mistimed) pregnancies among all women. Both of these objectives apply to the present data since most repeat pregnancies to unmarried girls under age 18 meet the criteria for "unintended." These unintended pregnancies often involve a short birth interval, which is a well-established risk factor for low birthweight.4 For a young girl and her family; few situations are as life changing as an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Moreover, the societal costs of teen childbearing are immense.4 TThus, the reduction of teenage pregnancies - especially repeat pregnancies among young unmarried girls - is particularly challenging. Approaches to the problem include reducing sexual activity, approaching sexual activity with a greater sense of responsibility, and increasing effective use of contraceptive methods.4 Better educational and employment opportunities for teens may encourage these changes in sexual behavior.
Let’s put it in a biblical perspective, Miriam’s message!!!
1 "Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5 Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. 7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, 'Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?' 8 'Yes, go,' she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. 9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.' So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, 'I drew him out of the water.' Exodus 2:1 – 10 NIV
"But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’" Luke 18:16
In other words, it is our duty to do whatever it takes to care for the children of our community. Regardless of its sex, race, culture… it does not matter!!!
In His service…
Abstinence, as defined by Wikipedia, "is the act or habit of refraining from some tempting activity, usually sex, but also other activities such as alcohol consumption." How do we get these teenage girls to move from sexual promiscuity to abstinence? How do we convince them that their behavior is both self-indulgent and self-destructive? We could allow them to "reap what they have sown." This alone is definitely the wrong approach to correct (change) a specific behavior. "Behavior Modification is defined as the use of rewards or punishments to reduce or eliminate problematic behavior, or to teach an individual new responses to environmental stimuli," according to an article published by the National Youth Network. The first step is to change the self-indulgent, self-destructive perspective to a view of acceptance and self-worth. These kids just want to be loved, and feel loved. Miriam’s House, Inc. wants to answer the questions, "Where do we go from here? Who will ever love me now?"
Presenting God’s love in a practical, nonjudgmental way will mean more to these young women than any other gesture we could give. Take all of the statistical data, psychological implications, and environmental influences…it all comes down to one thing. These girls just need LOVE! They need the love of their families, friends, and peers. Most importantly, they need to experience the love of their Creator, Jesus Christ. God has called all Christians (as ambassadors of His Son) to show the love that exists in every man, woman, and child. We must pour this love out upon ALL people in need, especially our children. The love of Christ will save lives, as well as change lives! Every child (regardless of the circumstances of his/her conception) has a God-given right to make an impact on the community that he/she has been born into. Miriam’s House, Inc. offers a choice, an alternative to abortion.
Miriam’s House, Inc. was born out of an overwhelming need of this generation. "Unwanted/unintended" teen pregnancies are approaching the highest rates in the modern era, with abortion procedures setting unprecedented frequency. The founders of Miriam’s House have a vision to affect the lives of these teenage girls in such a way that their entire perspective will be changed. These young ladies will "experience" the love of Christ! From that experience, they will be able to convey that same spirit of love to their children. These girls will be able to become contributing adults in their communities. Additionally, these women will no longer be a burden on their community, but they will mature into an asset to every person that may come in contact with them! Society’s new leaders…unborn children’s champions…a community’s hope…a teenage girl’s example!
The founders of Miriam’s House, Inc. want to carry out a plan that God has given them to bring about a "right" to correct a "wrong" that has festered over the last several years. The "wrong" that has taken place is the systematic breakdown of the family, as God had intended it to be. Televisions and daycares have "raised" our children. Single-parent families are as commonplace as families with both parents living in the same household. Divorces still occur at an alarming rate! The "band-aid" is the plan directed at dealing with the teen pregnancy situation, but the "cure" is the reversion to the traditional family values that God has entrusted with us from the first family. We must inject the love of Christ into each and every family in our community. We must nurture and train each and every parent in the principles that have been ordained by our Father in heaven. During His ministry on Earth, Christ made several references to the importance of His children (Luke 18:16, to name one). If the Kingdom of God belongs to these children, should we do everything in our power to care for them? I think so! May God bless you richly!!!
About Our Organization…
Miriam’s House, Inc.
1401 Front Street
P.O. Box 4804
Eden, NC 27289-4804
Phone: (336)344-3642
Fax: (336) 627-1804
E-Mail: miriamshouse@triad.rr.com
Miriam’s House, Inc. – Meeting the needs of children and our community!!!
Miriam's House, Inc. is a nonprofit organization in the process of establishing our 501(c)3 status. Contact Corey Smith for more information concerning gifts and placements.
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