Dunklin council gets grant to fight teen pregnancy

Daily Dunklin Democrat

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Missouri Foundation for Health recently approved a grant for more than $37,000 to the Dunklin County Caring Council. The grant will be used to implement a nationally proven pregnancy prevention program in high schools throughout Dunklin County.

According to DCCC executive director Minnie Sanders, the program will address the growing number of teenage pregnancies in the Bootheel. The rate of teenage mothers younger than 15 in Dunklin and Pemiscot counties is three times the state rate, she said.

The grant will allow the DCCC to provide the needed materials to implement the program.

Sanders hopes to have the equipment to schools by the end of the school year in order to have the program implemented by the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year.