City offers teenage girls $1 a day not to get pregnant

BEN SENGER

Teenage girls in Greensboro, North Carolina are offered $1 a day as an incentive to avoid getting pregnant, and program organizers say that its working.

The program was founded by a maternity nurse who thought too many teens were having babies. She believes the financial incentive helps teens choose a better future.

The programs three goals are that the girls avoid pregnancy, graduate from high school, and enroll in college.

As an incentive, for each week they come to the program $7 is deposited into an interest-bearing fund that they can collect once they graduate high school to use for college. They must also avoid pregnancy.

Some recent graduates earned more than $2,000 and are an inspiration to those still in the program.

Organizers have said that the biggest and best indicator for who will not get pregnant as a teenager is those who have career and college aspirations.

Program directors also say those aspirations are more achievable because of the friendships they help create.