"LET'S TALK MONTH" ENCOURAGES PARENTS TO TALK WITH THEIR CHILDREN SMITHFIELD-- Governor Mike Easley has declared October as "Let's Talk Month." The observance began in l986 and was started by the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina to promote the idea that "parents are the primary sexuality educators of their children." Statistics support the need for Johnston County parents to communicate with their children, said Etta Marett of the Johnston County Coalition on Adolescent Pregnancy. In 2005, 287 Johnston County teens between the ages of 10-19 were pregnant. During the same year, 18,727 teens in North Carolina between the ages of 10-19 were pregnant. Every day in N.C. 51 teens become pregnant. The Johnston County Coalition is a group of individuals whose purpose is to promote community awareness about the prevention of teen pregnancy. The local Coalition has been funded for twelve years by United Way. In addition to promoting community awareness about the prevention of teen pregnancy, the Coalition also provides services to local teens through the use of an abstinence based curriculum to help these teens make wise choices. During the month of October, SarahThompson, Parent Involvement Specialist with Johnston County Schools and a member of the Coalition, will begin hosting a series of parent workshops on "How to Talk" with their children about sex and other sensitive/tough issues. These workshops will offer parents many research based strategies to assist them in talking with their children. Child care will be provided by coalition members. Parents will need to pre-register at their school or contact Sarah Thompson at 934-4361 Ext. 376 for these events. Dates for the first rounds of parent workshops follow: Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6:45 p.m.-8:30 p.m. @ Four Oaks Middle School Thursday, Oct. 11, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. @ South Smithfield Elementary Tuesday, Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. @ Wilson's Mills Elementary Monday, Oct. 29, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. @ Not Just Another Community Center Benson, NC Tuesday, Oct. 30, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. @ Glendale-Kenly Elementary The local Coalition works closely with the Adolescent Parenting Program which is administered through the Department of Social Services. The Adolescent Parenting Program encourages pregnant teens and teen parents to continue their education and to prevent another pregnancy. This program is in need of volunteers to work with teens.
