Smart Beginnings Easy Preventions

Smart Beginnings/Easy Preventions is an exciting, successful non-profit program whose mission is to end the cycle of poverty, neglect, abuse, teenage pregnancy and homelessness in this population, to promote good nutrition, health and fitness and an appreciation of nature, the environment, social justice and literacy in all mothers, parenting fathers/partners and babies/children. We are moving our city towardsending this vicious cycle. Our program works and can be easily replicatedthroughout every city and state. There are three very important qualities that distinguish Smart Beginnings from other programs whose objectives are to help teen mothers (and fathers/partners.) *  Our goal is to stop the cycle of teenage pregnancy, not just lend a helping hand. *  Many existing programs begin once the babies have alreadybeen born. Stopping the cycle works if the mothers are reached while they are still pregnant. *  We provide door-to-door transportation to ensure that these pregnant/parenting teens, many of whom live from couch to couch, or worse, arrive safely and on time to their weekend retreat and day of bonding and learning with their babies. We would like to expand this program so that many more teenagers in Los Angeles County can avail themselves of this program and have a Smart Beginning/Easy Prevention.  We are ready and able to train staff.  We have a model that is easily replicated step by step.