On July 28, 2010, Colorado Representative Jared Polis and 16 other Members of Congress introduced the Pregnant & Parenting Students Access to Education Act (H.R. 5894), comprehensive legislation to improve high school graduation rates, college-and career-readiness, and access to postsecondary opportunities for pregnant and parenting students.  The legislation provides the necessary formula funding to all states and competitive funding to school districts to ensure that pregnant and parenting students have equal access to succeed in educational opportunities.  Click here for a fact sheet on the legislation and press release.

Representative Polis and other co-sponsors will now work to incorporate the provisions of the Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the major federal law regarding education. House and Senate education committees are currently in the process reauthorizing ESEA.  Supporters of the legislation must now turn their attention to adding co-sponsors to H.R. 5894 in order to encourage Congressional education leaders to include its content in the larger ESEA measure.

Now we need you to take action. Click here to send a message to members of Congress asking them to help pregnant and parenting teens graduate.

Organization Sign-On Letter: Direct service, advocacy, and public organizations at the national, state, and local levels are invited to add their organizations to a sign-on letter in support of H.R. 5894.  The sign-on letter may be found online here.  An initial response is requested by August 16, 2010 to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Over 25,000 babies have been born to Colorado teens in the last four years. This important piece of legislation will provide much needed resources to schools to provide support to this large group of Colorado students. Furthermore, this bill sends the message that teen parents' educational success is a priority.

Colorado Youth Matter applauds Representative Polis' leadership in recognizing the thousands of Colorado's young parents who are working to get their education and raising their children. Join us today by showing support for this legislation that will facilitate access to education, curb dropout rates, and improve economic self-sufficiency for pregnant and parenting teens.