Connection- Part 2
The Trauma of Teen Pregnancy
One significant trauma that Pinwheel & More Than Enough hope to help prevent is teen pregnancy. The stats vary year to year, but in America, 3 out of every 10 girls are likely to get pregnant before the age of 20. Around 45% percent of these girls have abortions, while the rest give birth or have miscarriages. The statistics are even worse for girls who age out of foster care- 7 out of 10 of these girls are pregnant before the age of 21. This is a major trauma in the life of these girls that ends up having a huge impact on their lives & on the life of their child.
Children who are born to a teen mom are more likely to not finish high school, to develop a substance dependence, or be convicted of a crime- each of these factors increasing the likelihood of their child entering foster care! Hardship can be inherited.
We aim to mentor boys on responsibility & how to treat girls & mentor girls on how to live into their divine identity rather than what a boy or society promotes, as well as how to maintain boundaries to protect their future!
Healthier Foster Care
Youth in foster care are 2.5x as likely to be incarcerated, and even more likely to be in trouble with the law with 5 or more placements. More Than Enough aims to minimize foster placement changes by preserving a safe foster home environment through “more than enough” support.
It is devastating to know that 80% of prisoners spent time in foster care. And 1 out of 2 kids who age out -leave the foster system without an adoptive family- will develop a substance dependence.
We also hope to raise awareness & grow the foster community through Care Communities so that eventually kids can be placed in foster homes better suited to their needs.
Instead of a culture of scarcity- not enough foster homes & not enough support- we hope to cultivate a culture of abundance- plenty of foster homes & an overflow of loving support.
Foster families can also access additional support through tutoring & after-school childcare at Pinwheel- these kids get top priority.
And through our connection to Revolving Door, we hope to foster more respect & hope for struggling biological parents. Through the much-needed Revolving Door program we hope to see God’s redemption & renewal in the lives of moms & their families! We hope our Care Communities can increase the chances of successful reunification!
In Conclusion
Hundreds of volunteers in our area have already played a role in offering prevention, protection & second chances to these three inter-related groups of people. Garden 58 hopes to serve such volunteers with whatever resources, platforms, and support we can gather through networking in our community!
Whatever role a person plays,
however small it may seem,
it is truly significant,
with a ripple effect into many other lives!
Do we expect people to grow & thrive if no one is sowing the seeds of love, kindness, patience, & goodness in their lives? …if all they experience is feeling ‘less than’ or unworthy of love? It is so beautiful to see what God can produce when His people live out His holy, faithful, compassionate love.
Just think of all that we will miss out on if we don’t prioritize others’ healing and growth! As we see in Isaiah 58, when we seek the well-being of others, we experience our own healing & restoration, our own flourishing!
Our own healing & growth is bound up in seeking the healing & growth of others.