Kids Count Data Center

Colorado's teen birth rate has declined sharply in recent years, dropping from 33.1 births per 1,000 teen girls ages 15-19 in 2010 to 27.8 in 2011.

Most births to teenagers are unintended, and many teen parents lack the parenting skills or financial resources children require. Teens who unexpectedly become parents face challenges not only for themselves, but also for their children. Pregnancy is a major contributor to the dropout rate among teenage girls, limiting opportunities for teen mothers and putting teen parents and their children at risk for economic instability. Only half of all teen mothers earn their high school diploma by age 22, while 90 percent of teen girls who are not mothers reach this milestone.

The negative consequences of teen pregnancy and parenting also extend to the children of teen parents. In the short term, children born to a teen parent are more likely to be born at a low birthweight and are at higher risk for dying as an infant. Later in life, they are more likely to have academic or behavioral problems, become teen parents themselves or be unemployed as young adults.

The 2013 KIDS COUNT in Colorado! report was released on March 18, 2013. Access the full report on the KIDS COUNT page of our website for more information on child well-being in Colorado.