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North Carolina

9 program violations. Individuals found to have committed an intentional program violation are disqualified from WFFA for 12 months for the first offense, 24 months for the second offense, and permanently for the third. The cash benefit is reduced by the needs of the offender but the offender continues to be subject to time limits and work requirements. The overpayment is also recovered by repayment or payment reduction. The family may apply for Medicaid.

OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS

Because out-of-wedlock births are so closely linked to poverty, reducing these births should improve the health of women and children and help reduce dependency on public assistance.

Circumstances contributing to out-of-wedlock births are complex. Strategies to reduce them must address a range of issues from access to family planning services to promoting abstinence and responsible behavior.

County health and social services departments/agencies continue to collaborate to ensure that all recipients receive needed family planning services. Each county health and social services department/agencies has formulated a plan to reduce barriers and promote family planning service utilization. An indicator to determine the percent of out-of-wedlock births has been added to the Maternal and Child Health Accountability System to monitor health departments as they strive to meet this goal. This indicator is tracked on a county-by-county basis and is used in the evaluation of each health department's effectiveness, resulting in health departments adopting strategies to improve their county performance measures.

The Department gives high priority to its adolescent parenting and adolescent pregnancy prevention programs and continues to monitor prevention efforts, particularly those aimed at reducing teen pregnancy.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives (TPPI), housed in the Division of Public Health, provides funding for local health departments, social services departments/agencies, school systems, and other community-based agencies to work with adolescents to prevent pregnancy among target populations. These agencies use “best practice models” in group settings. Techniques may include abstinence and life-skills education, youth development, parent workshops, counseling and referral, community awareness efforts, and male involvement. Topics include decision- making, leadership, information about specific areas of concern such as sexual coercion, statutory rape laws, and/or service learning.

FORMATION AND MAINTENANCE OF TWO-PARENT FAMILIES

Researchers have found many benefits for men, women, children and communities who are in healthy marriages. Some individuals are less likely to remain or end up in poverty and children and youth are less likely to become pregnant as a teenager when raised by parents in healthy marriages. The mission of the Healthy Marriages Initiative is to help couples that have chosen marriage for themselves, gain greater access to marriage education services, on a voluntary basis, where they can acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage. Local community based Family Resource Centers, provides a comprehensive array of family support programs, services and activities to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.