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Participants at Rose of Sharon Sem‘ces for Young Mothers, both women am doting, albeit incxperienwd moms. enthraued with motherhood and unhindered by hindsight. 'I‘ne Metmland analysis identified mm~ munitics across the pmvmcc whens. between 2006 and 2010. as many as 40 per cent of births wen-101w!) mothers. Meanwhile. communities such as Vaughan, Mme Richnm‘nd Hill. Oakville and (ilk-don had won mother rates below] per cent. In fact. our teen pt‘Pgnancy rate has been dvcmasing owr timc‘ [he mlal numhct of [men pregnancies in York Region was 365 in 20% and 437 in 2(1):! The findings. derived fmm data collected by ()ntarin's Better Outcomes Registry and Network. have‘ implicatibns for the Ministry of Health. public health units and social pm‘ SPECIAL REPORT: York Region’s teen pregnancy rate decreasing during past 5 years While Ms [fishy andle Panama are not wholly mpnesemative of the thesis that rates of teen mom are highest where incomes and educational achievements am low and poverty is high. they wet? pan of Born. a gxomidbreaking Metroiand investigation of 5351!]! Ontario birth maids ’lhc comprehensive of [our years of maternal health data also shows low rates of teen mothers are 605er tied in higher incomes. higher levels of educational achimmcm and lower povcny lcvcix Specifically. in 2008. the teen pmgnamy raw in ibrk Region was 9.8 pct 1.000 females 15 to 19 years old. according to a regional community and health services nepon rclmsed last year. ‘ [he teen pregnancy rate in Ontario was 24.5 pet LOO!) femalea In all yeats. the York Region teen pregnancy rates were signifiâ€" cantly lower than the Ontario rates. amamha Dislcy's daughter is 13 months old. Kelly Panama has‘a 16- mumh-old daughter and is exped- ing‘ her semnd child in Ianuary. Both Newmarket women. now 20. were single :eenagers when they gave birth. Both describe their upbringing as middle clam PART 3: MA Born: Mothers too soon BY STEVE IIIIIST, TERI PECOSKII’. AND CHRIS TMBER L: Prenatal care, kn bnnh weights laIc-rnal hailh am An amlya’n 137 Main Street Northz Markham 0 905-294-3882 - www.mggrg'gexa - Open 7 days a week "The reality is Illa-l children born to teen- age mums don't lend to do as well and. they tend to end up being teenage moms them- selws.” Dr. Chris Mackie. a Hamilton agsociam medical after 01' health. Ihc nonprofit organization. providing assistance and educational Wes to prcg~ nan! and pamming young women ynungcr man 25 arms-s York Region. graduates 31!) participants annually. 0f its 234 cumm clients. mort- than one-third sm- fmm New 1 market and Aumrd. (k-urgina Midcmx tmal Teenage mothers Samantha Disky with Emma (left) and Kdly Panama with Shelby spend time at Rose of Sharon in Newmarket. grams operated by Inunicipalilm pmvincv- wide. the Meimland report stated. “What's interesting for us. through the statistics we collect. is the spectrum of fami lies we she said. "We have womm fmm 10w income backgrounds and those from affluent families with support.” “Oflen they aren't able to be economically successfm. and have the suppons they need for the child to gww up and be healthy. It's really not a gmal mm in life.“ Rose of Sharon executive director Anna Pavan understands the empirical evidence. but wants people to understand the regional reality. Additionally. the cyéljcal Character of teen nmtherhood could have implications fox future generations. -mm°mmmlmmnmtwmmmiޤum«mm-gym Yod: Region shouldn’t be painted with that analytical brush. Rose of Sharon pmâ€" grdm dimum Kelley ()wvin said. Handling sterunygxm is a cnnstam challenge fur the ' agemfy and those it serves, she said; 65. Markham 20. Vaughan 22 and Richmond Hill 2'3. 0! the total. 89 are teenage moms. Comments such as those by Dr. Mache- and pmvincia] statistics can create unde- served pemepu'ons. Ms Pavan said. . "If you label (teenage moms) and hear it enough. it'll happen.” She said. “If you ofier support and focus on suengihbased paradigms. then you'll have successful out- comes.” "lhc connection between teen mother- hood and poverty is particularly pmnumlcud m Ontario's nonh end and native communi- ties. when: the proportion of mothers that am teens is as much as I 1 times higher than the pmvinctal average of 3.7 per cent. the Mctmland study noted. In those communities. the median ' household income is typically a fraction of the Ontario average of $60,455. few adults finish high school and unemployment rates are as much as five times the provincial aver age of!” per cent. according to data from the 2m}; Statisttcs Canada census. Poverty pmscms mom challenges fur PEPPERTREE If}; \‘th(“"‘\ I Alkhlnflu [undue vi“ 57A" PHOYCNSUSM' KOCKIISCHQDOI' 31.4.(1 ...l \ “When you're having a child cmales change." she "It gives you someone who [dies on you and can motivate you to reach goals It gives you the status of being an adult. a parent and the opportunity to mam out of a socimmnomk 'lhcir pregnancies wcn'n't plannvd, Bum WEI? Shocked when it was confirmed. 11M} excited. Ms Disley quit high school and Iiu's’ with her baby's father and paréms, Ms Pam- ma is from her firm Child's dad and lives with her new baby’s father. “You dd lose out on a big chunk ufyum teen life.~ Ms Dislcy said. “It's a time when you should be finding who you am But. ynu just pm that on hold.” Motherhood for the young Women at the Newmarkct agency certainly dammit. but didn't derail their lives. Ms Disk'y and Ms Panama said. Both women an: twb trams away fmm earning a high school equivalency diploma thmugh the 11% experience and those lhcy'w hmrd anecdmally suggest teenagm moms are dedicated to responsible parenting, wri- comc supports and dismvcr the upskim outweigh the down. Many don‘! want go hang out with friends with kids. Ms Pananm. why plans towed in ZOIZ. “I mnfld say [0 other [Pens to live Mr now. finish school and have your pmnum in oak-r. she Ms [fish’s advice is to plan. “Being a parent is hand." she said "If yuu'rv having use pmmninn. Don't hurry to grow up.‘ The study's hypomesis suggests mum-n maximal links among teenaged moms who began the same. 'I‘nal's not the can: with Ms Disley and Ms Panama. teenage molhers;Ms ()swin said. And while the agency doesn'l pmmme teen parenthood. given suppofls. cam and undmanding, it can be positive. Want more? (heck out move on this stoq at myocmgionxomflme, we have additiona! intomation "W W WW and reads comments, shedding light on the issues. MORE ONUNE