Bonners Ferry Local Guide including all of Boundary County Idaho

Idaho taxpayers pay millions for teen pregnancy

Saturday, November 4, 2006; KTVB

When it comes to tax dollars, many often wonder, where does the money go? Turns out, a big chunk goes to pay for teen pregnancies. This as a new report says Idaho taxpayers are paying 39 million dollars every year because of teen childbearing. For the first time in 10 years--a study breaks down what teen pregnancy costs. "Teen child bearing is an expensive proposition," says Dave Fotsch, Central District Health Spokesman Between 1991 and 2004--there were more than 31-thousand teen births in Idaho. At a cost of 700 million dollars. This as the teen birth rate in Idaho declined 28 percent during that time. However--it still is not cheap. "Teen childbearing cost taxpayers about 39 million dollars here in the state of Idaho, says Fotsch - Full Story