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Some of the nation's most vulnerable youth are those living in foster care and other out-of-home settings. Many such youth have experienced abuse and neglect, face mental health and substance abuse challenges, and struggle with serious behavioral problems (Casanueva et al. 2014). They are more likely than their peers to have academic struggles and less likely to graduate from high school or attend college (Dworsky et al. 2014). In part for these reasons, they also have higher rates of teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and associated sexual risk behaviors. Estimates suggest that as many as one in three girls in foster care will become a teen mother--a rate more than double the national average (Dworsky and Courtney 2010). Of those who become mothers before age 18, more than one in four will go on to have another child before aging out of their teens (Putnam-Hornstein and King 2014). This report presents interim findings from a large-scale demonstration project and evaluation of the POWER Through Choices (PTC) program, a comprehensive sexual health education curriculum designed specifically for youth in foster care and other out-of-home care settings. The program features ten 90-minute sessions delivered to small groups of youth by trained facilitators in a classroom-based setting. This curriculum-based structure is similar to many teen pregnancy prevention programs delivered to general youth populations in schools and community settings. The PTC program is unique, however, in addressing the needs and risk factors specific to youth in foster care and other out-of-home care settings. Findings from an implementation study of the PTC program were presented in an earlier report (Meckstroth et al. 2014). The present report adds to these findings by describing the short-term impacts of the PTC program on youth knowledge, attitudes, and intentions. A future report will examine the program's longer-term impacts on youth sexual risk behaviors. The following are appended: (1) Nonresponse Analysis; (2) Outcome Measures; and (3) Sensitivity Analyses.

Hispanics represent one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population, and this rapid growth is projected to be even more dramatic for Hispanic teens. The number of Hispanic teens is projected to increase by 50 percent by 2025, even though the total teen population is expected to increase by only 6 percent in the same time period. Although the teen birth rate is declining for all groups, Hispanic teens have higher birth rates and a slower pace of decline than non-Hispanic black or non-Hispanic white teens. Thus, Hispanic teens are an important target group for pregnancy prevention programs. The proportion of the teen population that is Hispanic and the proportion of teen births that occur to Hispanics vary greatly by state. This "Research Brief" provides state-level information on both trends in the growth of the Hispanic teen population and in the proportion of teen births that occur to Hispanic mothers. This information can help state-level agencies and local program providers address the unique needs of their changing communities. The authors identify two distinct groups of states: one with an especially high proportion of teen births to Hispanics, and another with a relatively low proportion of teen births to Hispanics but with an especially high rate of growth in Hispanic teen births. These two groups of states face different challenges in their efforts to prevent teen pregnancies in Hispanic communities. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)