G-CAPP Second Chance Homes FAQs

What are Second Chance Homes?
How did the homes start?
Why are Second Chance Homes needed in Georgia?
What do Second Chance Homes offer?
What are the goals of Second Chance Homes?
What are the results so far?
Current demographics in Georgia
Eligibility
How do I refer a teen to Second Chance Homes?
How many homes are there in the nation?
How are states involved in Second Chance Homes?
How is the federal government involved in Second Chance Homes?

What are Second Chance Homes?
Second Chance Homes are adult supervised residential facilities designed to support parenting young mothers up to age 21 and a limited number of pregnant teens.  The Second Chance Home provides a safe alternative living situation for these mothers and their children, whose home and family situations may put them at risk for abuse, violence, and neglect.  The provision for creating Second Chance Homes is provided in the Welfare Reform Act of 1996.

How did the homes start?

Abraham Lincoln chartered the first home in Hyattsville, MD in 1863. It is called St. Ann’s and it is still serving teen families today.

Why are Second Chance Homes needed in Georgia?

    • Georgia has the 8th highest teen birth rate in the nation
    • Over 22,000 teen pregnancies occur each year in our state. That’s more than 62 new teen pregnancies each day - or almost 3 pregnancies each hour.
    • Nearly 28% of teen pregnancies in Georgia occur among girls who have already been pregnant at least once before
    • Georgia ranks 2nd highest among states in the rate of repeat teen births
    • Teen childbearing cost tax payers in Georgia at least $344 million in 2004 alone

What do Second Chance Homes offer?

  • A safe, stable place to live with 24-hour supervision.
  • Instruction in child development, maternal and child health, nutrition, and budgeting, parenting and independent living.
  • High school completion or GED.
  • Help in finding jobs and affordable housing upon leaving.

What are the goals of Second Chance Homes?

  • Safe and stable supervised living.
  • Reduce repeat pregnancy.
  • High school completion.
  • Career development.
  • Self-sufficiency
  • Healthy child outcomes (i.e. immunizations, nutrition, parental bonding and development).
  • Promote and increase child/parent bonding and nurturing.
  • Empowerment.

What are the results so far?
The results from Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 in Georgia shows much promise for successful outcomes:

  • 150 referrals received
  • 82 teen parents and 83 children served
  • 161 teens on the Second Chance Homes waiting list
  • 91% of Second Chance Homes teens ages 18 and older were high school graduates or enrolled in some type of educational program
  • 48% of teens ages 18 and older were employed upon discharge
  • 100% immunizations among children

    To view the full results for SCH outcomes, click here.

Current demographics in Georgia:

  • Capacity = 56 beds
  • Average age for teen mothers = 16-17 years old
  • African-American teens = 49%
  • Caucasian teens = 33%
  • Latina teens = 11%
  • Multi-racial/Other teens = 7%
  • Teen mothers 17 and younger enrolled in some type of educational program = 85%
  • 52% of children less than 3 months old

Eligibility

  • Teen mothers ages 13-21
  • Current living arrangements deemed unsafe or inappropriate, with no other viable housing resources available
  • No significant “treatment level” needs (i.e. substance abuse, suicidal, severe emotional and felony criminal involvement)
  • Teens in custody of DFCS or DJJ, as well as teens voluntarily placed by their custodial parents/guardians

How do I refer a teen to Second Chance Homes?

  • Refer an eligible teen to any or all of the Second Chance Homes directly.
  • Referral may come from anyone – an agency, a teen, a parent, or any other person.
  • The home will complete a referral form either over the telephone or in person.
  • If a home is full, the teen may be placed on a waiting list and the teen will be contacted monthly for status updates.
  • Once an opening occurs in a home, those who have been on the waiting list the longest, or who are most in need, will be notified.
  • The teen will have an opportunity to tour the home at that time.

How many homes are there in the nation?

There are more than 100 homes operating nationwide.

How are states involved in Second Chance Homes?

At least 18 states (Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) have started some type of Second Chance Home network by partnering with local non-profit organizations. In statewide networks, states pay all or some of the costs
of the program, refer teens to homes, and issue standards and guidelines for services. Non-profit organizations operate the homes under contract to the state and deliver services to teens and families.

How is the federal government involved in Second Chance Homes?

In 1996, Congress required minor teen parents to live at home or under adult supervision as a condition for receiving welfare benefits. For those who have no safe home to live in, Congress authorized states to use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to create Second Chance Homes (SCHs).

In September 2000, the Georgia General Assembly and Governor approved the use of TANF funds to create SCHs in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Human Resources provided funding and trust authorized the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP) to lead, design, and implement a statewide SCH Network of service provider partners to serve at-risk young mothers and their children. The resulting state-, local-, and private-supported home model was a replication of the statewide Second Chance Homes program in Massachusetts.  Georgia is one of only 18 states with a statewide SCH program.

The difficult circumstances experienced by most teenage mothers and their children have resulted in an increased public interest in supporting young mothers’ efforts to become self-sufficient, delay subsequent childbearing, and promote awareness of child development early in their children’s lives, in order to break the cycle of poverty and reliance on public assistance. Georgia’s SCH program offers stable housing and other supportive services to teenage mothers, providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to become more effective parents and lead healthy, independent lives.

Information courtesy of SPAN (Social Policy Action Network) Fast Facts About Second Chance Homes www.span-online.org

For more information about Second Chance Homes, please contact:
Vincent Smith, Project Coordinator
G-CAPP
100 Auburn Avenue, Suite 200
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
vincent@gcapp.org
404-475-6050