Statewide Chair Mary McLellan Heritage Community Services Regional Chairs Mariscia Cooper (Pee Dee) Charlie Lybrand (Lowcountry) Lenna Neill (Upstate) Rev. Randy Riddle (Grand Strand) Dr. Roger Rollins (CSRA) Charlotte Valentine-Green (Ace Basin)   Advisory Council Eugene Bacote Darlington School District Dr. Vera Bailey Hilton Head Preg. Care Center Pamela Berry Colleton Fire and Rescue Dr. Vonda Calcutt Lowcountry Ctr. Diabetes Sen. Chip Campsen Charleston/Berkeley Rev. Chuck Coward Charleston Outreach Robin Crosby Colleton County Ligure Ellington Ret.Capt. Charleston City Police Dr. Randy Goings Chiropractic Physician Faye Hill Lowcountry Pregnancy Center & SC Association Pregnancy Care Centers WC Hoecke Fatherhood Practioner Leroy Lewis Upward Bound at Cof C Norman L. Moore, Jr. Colonel, USAFR(Ret) Cyndi Mosteller Comm. for Higher Education Alexia Newman Carolina Pregnancy Center Fred Payne Marriage Savers of Upstate Jerry & Barbara Seymour R& R Marriage Min. Ronald Shoupe Colleton County Dr. A. V. Strong A Better Way, Inc. (Gang Out) Dr. Robert Thomas Pulmonary Medicine Pastor Phil Thrailkill St. Luke UMC Hartsville Kelly Walker Upstate Fatherhood Coalition	February 3, 2011 SC Healthy Family Formation Coalition E-News!   Please, forward this newsletter to other people of influence.   The SC HFF Coalition promotes the benefits of Healthy Family Formation (healthy relationships, abstinence and marriage) and educates the public about the consequences of family fragmentation (unwed childbearing and divorce) on child and family well-being.    As legislators cut budgets, they need wisdom to not just reduce entitlement spending but also the size of welfare rolls. Taking a hard look at programs that prevent poverty in the long term and encourage wealth creation is essential to sound fiscal policy.  Otherwise, some budget cuts will simply be a quick political fix and will not stop the continued drain on limited resources.   To do this difficult work, we encourage legislators and policy makers to address some of the primary causes, enormous costs and common sense solutions to the welfare entitlement crisis impacting our quality of life.        Increased Demand for Welfare Entitlements The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing (2008) analyzed how the consequences of family fragmentation increase demands for antipoverty, criminal justice, and education programs.   It is well documented that children born to and/or raised by single parents are more likely to need public assistance than those children whose parents get and stay married.     Costs of Entitlements According to The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing (2008) family fragmentation costs U.S. Taxpayers at least $112 billion each year, or over $1 trillion dollars per decade.   In South Carolina, family fragmentation costs taxpayers at least $469 million each year, or $4.7 billion per decade!     Promote Healthy Family Formation By teaching our youth how to plan a life script that includes avoiding sexual activity, and building healthy relationships and marriages, more families will be formed thoughtfully and successfully. Over time, it is realistic to expect that bloated entitlement programs will shrink. According to Marriage Matters: 26 Conclusions from the Social Sciences:   1.  Marriage is an important social good, associated with an impressively broad array of positive outcomes for children and adults alike. 2.  Marriage is an important public good, associated with a range of economic, health, educational, and safety benefits that help local, state, and federal governments serve the common good. 3.  The benefits of marriage extend to poor and minority communities, despite the fact that marriage is particularly fragile in these communities.     Avoid Shortsighted Policies We must not return to the high teen pregnancy rates of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Before Welfare Reform (1996) provided funding for Abstinence Education, South Carolina teen pregnancy rates were at 53%. Under Welfare Reform, SC teen pregnancy rates in 2005 had plummeted by 35%. (15-17 year olds)   This dramatic decrease in teen pregnancy rates cannot be explained by Safe Sex and Contraception programs alone.   Did you know that a June 2010 CDC Report provided data (2006-2008) showing that 70% of 15-17 year olds surveyed nationally have NEVER had sex?   Parents! This means that most of your teen’s friends are probably NOT HAVING SEX! Teen sex is NOT the NORM. Teen sex is NOT UNAVOIDABLE. Teen sex must not be subsidized with our federal dollars.   Why does Abstinence Education receive only $1 for every $16 of federal funding that Safe Sex programs receive?     Common Sense Solution Healthy Family Formation must be promoted far and wide.  Welfare Reform should be restored, and funding for abstinence-centered and marriage education should be increased as an anti-poverty initiative. Over time, that would decrease the amount of entitlements needed in the national and state budgets.      Read past SCHFF newsletters…   Follow the SC-HFF Coalition on Twitter! 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	The South Carolina Healthy Family Formation Coalition (SC HFF Coalition) is organized and staffed by Heritage Community Services. The SC HFF Coalition promotes child and family well-being by providing opportunities for statewide communication about such issues as: adolescent pregnancy, unwed childbearing, fatherlessness, sexual exploitation of our youth, dating violence and domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, gang activity and youth violence.    Coalition members support healthy family formation initiatives that integrate character-based life skills, teen pregnancy prevention with an emphasis on abstinence-centered education, and the importance of fidelity-within-marriage.   Together we can impact our culture so that forming healthy families becomes a norm, rather than the exception, for South Carolina. Please, forward this E-News to interested friends, family and colleagues and ask them to consider joining the Coalition. Join/Subscribe Unsubscribe PRIVACY POLICY: Information you share will never be sold, rented, or given to any third party. Contact Mary McLellan , Statewide Chairman (843)654-7740 ext.122