The Truth about Milwaukee
Milwaukee leads the nation in some sobering statistics:
- Milwaukee consistently has one of the highest teen birth rates
- Children raised by a never-married mother will spend an average of 51% of his childhood living in poverty
- 50% more likely to suffer some form of child abuse
- 53 % are more likely to suffer physical neglect
- 57 % are more likely to suffer emotional neglect
There are many other facts and figures that paint a potentially dismal present and future of our youth. This “babies having babies” phenomenon is out of control, and we’re all paying the price. Thankfully, there’s an organization addressing this urgent problem.
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View this video to see how Rosalie Manor Community & Family Services is facing these challenges. (.wmv - 32MB) |
WHY DO TEENS BECOME PREGNANT?
WHO IS GETTING OUR TEEN GIRLS PREGNANT?
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT MILWAUKEE’S TEEN PARENTS?
WHAT SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AFFECT OUR TEENS?
WHAT IMPACT DOES A FATHERLESS HOME HAVE ON A CHILD?
HOW DOES ROSALIE MANOR WORK WITH FATHERS?
HOW DOES ROSALIE MANOR PROMOTE HEALTHY MARRIAGE IN MILWAUKEE?
WHAT IMPACT DO UNHEALTHY MARRIAGES HAVE ON MILWAUKEE’S CHILDREN?
It’s our experience that teens who become pregnant don’t necessarily do so on purpose like the high school girls recently reported, rather they either don’t do anything to prevent it or don’t know what to do to prevent it.
WHO IS GETTING OUR TEEN GIRLS PREGNANT?
It’s our experience that the teen girls who do become pregnant usually have boyfriends older than 18 (generally 20-25).
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT MILWAUKEE’S TEEN PARENTS?
The most recent statistics were taken in 2004:
- In Milwaukee, 25% of teen births were to females who were already moms
• Compared to 18.6% in WI and 19.8% in US - 17% of births were to females under 20 years
• Compared to 8.7% in WI and 10.3% in US - 61% births to unmarried mothers
• Compared to 31.3% in WI and 35.8% in US
*These statistics are taken from most recent version of the Annie E Casey Kids Count book/website
WHAT SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AFFECT OUR TEENS?
- 1 in 4 teen girls have an STD, that’s 3 million teen girls
• According to USA Today March 2008 - Milwaukee ranks 2nd for Chlamydia, gonorrhea, HSV and syphilis
• Milwaukee is one of the 60 largest cities in the US - 15 to 19 year old females have the highest rates for chlamydia and gonorrhea in the US
WHAT IMPACT DOES A FATHERLESS HOME HAVE ON A CHILD?
Statistics show that children of fatherless homes are:
- 32 times more likely to run away
• (www.brandnewdad.com) - 14 times more likely to commit rape
• (www.brandnewdad.com) - 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances
• (www.brandnewdad.com) - 5 times more likely to be poor and 10 times more likely to be extremely poor
• (Nelson, 1995; Halle, Moore, Greene & LeMenestrel, 1998) - Boys are twice as likely as boys in two-parent families to be incarcerated, regardless of variations in background characteristics such as parents' educational level, race/ethnicity, and income
• (Harper & McClanahan, 1998) - Daughters are more likely to become single-parent mothers
• (McClanahan & Booth, 1989)
HOW DOES ROSALIE MANOR WORK WITH FATHERS?
We are working in a community where generations of fatherless families are prevalent. Through our programs, we’re working to break down misconceptions that fathers don’t matter.
- In Milwaukee, nearly 1 out of every 2 children lives in a home without a father
- 60% of African American children in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha live in a home headed by a single mother
(US Census data, 2000)
HOW DOES ROSALIE MANOR PROMOTE HEALTHY MARRIAGE IN MILWAUKEE?
Wisconsin Alliance for Healthy Marriage was developed by Rosalie Manor and Parents Plus of Wisconsin in 2006. Our goal is to help Milwaukee’s low-income expectant and new parents (infants three months or younger) form and sustain healthy relationships through in-home marriage education and training, financial literacy training and pre-employment workshops.
WHAT IMPACT DO UNHEALTHY MARRIAGES HAVE ON MILWAUKEE’S CHILDREN?
- Nationwide, stats show that a child raised by a never-married mother will spend an average of 51% of his childhood living in poverty
• Compared to 7% for a child born and raised in an intact marriage.
• (National Longitudinal Survey of Youth) - Children of married parents are 55% less likely to suffer some form of child abuse
• 47% are less likely to suffer physical neglect
• 43% are less likely to suffer emotional neglect
• The Heritage Foundation report - For 80 years the marriage rate in Wisconsin has been consistently lower than the national rate.
• In 2005 it was 6.1 per 1,000 total population
• Compared to the U.S. rate of 7.5 per 1,000 population - Milwaukee is ranked 2nd in the nation for African-Americans who have never been married.
- 53% percent of all Wisconsin divorces in 2005 involved couples with children under 18 years of age.
• Among those divorces involving children, an average of 1.8 children were affected by each divorce.
Want to face the challenge with us? Learn more about Rosalie Manor’s Programs and how you can help make a difference in Milwaukee.
Please donate today.
Rosalie Manor Community & Family Services is making real, positive changes. But, we can’t continue dealing with all the serious challenges our teenagers face without your financial assistance.
Your generous support of these efforts is urgently needed and greatly appreciated.
