New Moms is located in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District, a distressed community with a poverty rate of 20.2% (U.S. Census data).  This is almost double the Illinois poverty rate of 10.7%, and far exceeds the national rate of 12.6%.  Our target neighborhoods; Austin, Humboldt Park, Logan Square and West Town; have staggering annual birth rates to teens—29%, 29%, 20%, and 19% respectively among females aged 10-19, far exceeding Chicago’s average of 13%.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy just released data demonstrating that, for the first time since 1991, we saw an increase in the national teen birth rate between 2005 and 2006, with an additional 20,834 babies born to teens.  According to state-by-state breakdowns, these figures reveal the most dramatic increase in teen childbearing since 1971. 

Many of the young women we serve are “poverty nomads,” moving 6-8 times per year.  While they are not officially homeless, these moves have a profound effect on their abilities to stay in school, hold jobs, and keep children enrolled in daycare.  New Moms helps these highly marginalized youth by providing crisis intervention, filling participants’ immediate needs: for safety, housing, food, and clothing.  Our comprehensive, individualized case management helps participants to access community resources and benefits that will help them to support their children.  Next, we build on the partnership we have created, encouraging each participant to make choices which will lead toward a strong, healthy future, and a lifetime of self-sufficiency.