Maryland Abstinence Education
and Coordination Program

Upcoming Event!!! Abstinence Education Conference for Youth Serving Professionals

The Federal Abstinence Education Grant Program is one of several provisions of the 1996 Welfare Reform Legislation directed at reducing teen out-of-wedlock births. The Grant’s purpose is "to enable the State to provide abstinence education, and at the option of the State, where appropriate, mentoring, counseling and adult supervision to promote abstinence from sexual activity, with a focus on those groups which are most likely to bear children out-of-wedlock." Maryland’s annual share of Federal abstinence funds is $569,675. The State is required to match three state dollars for every four federal dollars. Maryland met its State match requirement of $427,256 by using existing State and private funded abstinence education programs.

The Center for Maternal and Child Health (CMCH) is responsible for administering Maryland’s Abstinence Education Grant. The CMCH is partnering with the University of Maryland – School of Social Work to provide training, professional development, parent and community education as well as youth-oriented conferences to the Maryland Abstinence Education and Coordination Program (MAECP). MAECP targets pre-teens and teens between the ages of 9 to 19 that live in jurisdictions with an adolescent pregnancy rate which is higher than Maryland’s average. Abstinence education funds are used to implement abstinence education curricula and related programming in structured after-school programs.

Federal block grant funds are also used to expand the State’s teen pregnancy prevention media campaign conducted by Campaign For Our Children. The MAECP Advisory Group provides direction and assures that input is received from State, local and community representatives. Statewide training is provided to youth-serving professionals across the State and serves as a resource network and to encourage collaborative efforts.

For more information, contact the Maryland Abstinence Education and Coordination Program by Telephone: 410-767-5597 or Fax: 410-333-5233.