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STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA FFY 2024 STATE PLAN FOR TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES

cause being shown for the confidential records and information to be opened; or (4) To a department or division of the state or other entity, pursuant to the terms of an interagency or other agreement: Provided that any agreement specifically references this section and extends its requirements for confidentiality to the other entity receiving the records or information, its agents and employees. (b) Any person who knowingly and willfully releases or causes to be released the confidential records and information described in this section, except under the specific circumstances enumerated in this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $500 or confined in the county or regional jail for not more than six months, or both.

(v) Establish goals and take action to prevent and reduce the incidences of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, with special emphasis on teenage pregnancies, and establish numerical goals for reducing the illegitimacy ratio of the State.

The West Virginia Department of Health, Bureau for Public Health, Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health (OMCFH), is responsible for developing, coordinating, and operating health prevention programs for women and children, including family planning and adolescent pregnancy prevention.

The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (APPI) is a focus area of the West Virginia Family Planning Program funded in part by Title X. The individual's marital status is not considered when addressing contraception or prevention methods. The Family Planning Program serves all individuals of reproductive age seeking to prevent or achieve pregnancy. Goals are set to align with Community Outreach and Education requirements. Priorities for the prevention of teen and unplanned pregnancies are set based on statistical data regarding teen births in the State.

APPI Specialists research behaviors and determinants that drive teen pregnancy rates. This data is derived from WV Kids Count, Vital Statistics, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS), Center for Disease Control (CDC), Guttmacher Institute, Administration for Children and Families, and the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH).

APPI team members contact local stakeholders and organizations to attend committee meetings focused on prevention to help assess Page 46