---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 300z"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "300z"
heading: "Findings and purposes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/300z"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter XVIII — Adolescent Family Life Demonstration Projects"
---

# §300z. Findings and purposes

- (a) The Congress finds that—
  - (1) in 1978, an estimated one million one hundred thousand teenagers became pregnant, more than five hundred thousand teenagers carried their babies to term, and over one-half of the babies born to such teenagers were born out of wedlock;
  - (2) [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) aged seventeen and younger accounted for more than one-half of the out of wedlock births to teenagers;
  - (3) in a high proportion of cases, the pregnant [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) is herself the product of an unmarried parenthood during adolescence and is continuing the pattern in her own lifestyle;
  - (4) it is estimated that approximately 80 per centum of unmarried teenagers who carry their pregnancies to term live with their families before and during their pregnancy and remain with their families after the birth of the child;
  - (5) pregnancy and childbirth among unmarried [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9), particularly young [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9), often results in severe adverse health, social, and economic consequences including: a higher percentage of pregnancy and childbirth complications; a higher incidence of low birth weight babies; a higher infant mortality and morbidity; a greater likelihood that an [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) marriage will end in divorce; a decreased likelihood of completing schooling; and higher risks of unemployment and welfare dependency; and therefore, education, training, and job research [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) are important for [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) parents;
  - (6)
    - (A) adoption is a positive option for unmarried pregnant [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) who are unwilling or unable to care for their children since adoption is a means of providing permanent families for such children from available approved couples who are unable or have difficulty in conceiving or carrying children of their own to term; and
    - (B) at present, only 4 per centum of unmarried pregnant [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) who carry their babies to term enter into an adoption plan or arrange for their babies to be cared for by relatives or friends;
  - (7) an unmarried [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) who becomes pregnant once is likely to experience recurrent pregnancies and childbearing, with increased risks;
  - (8)
    - (A) the problems of [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) premarital sexual relations, pregnancy, and parenthood are multiple and complex and are frequently associated with or are a cause of other troublesome situations in the family; and
    - (B) such problems are best approached through a variety of integrated and essential [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) provided to [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) and their families by other [family members](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-15), religious and charitable organizations, voluntary associations, and other groups in the private sector as well as [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) provided by publicly sponsored initiatives;
  - (9) a wide array of educational, health, and supportive [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) are not available to [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) with such problems or to their families, or when available frequently are fragmented and thus are of limited effectiveness in discouraging [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) premarital sexual relations and the consequences of such relations;
  - (10)
    - (A) prevention of [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) sexual activity and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) pregnancy depends primarily upon developing strong family values and close family ties, and since the family is the basic social unit in which the values and attitudes of [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) concerning sexuality and pregnancy are formed, [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) designed to deal with issues of sexuality and pregnancy will be successful to the extent that such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) encourage and sustain the role of the family in dealing with [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) sexual activity and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) pregnancy;
    - (B) Federal policy therefore should encourage the development of appropriate health, educational, and social [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) where such [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) are now lacking or inadequate, and the better coordination of existing [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) where they are available; and
    - (C) [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) encouraged by the Federal Government should promote the involvement of parents with their [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) children, and should emphasize the provision of support by other [family members](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-15), religious and charitable organizations, voluntary associations, and other groups in the private sector in order to help [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) and their families deal with complex issues of [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) premarital sexual relations and the consequences of such relations; and
  - (11)
    - (A) there has been limited research concerning the societal causes and consequences of [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) pregnancy;
    - (B) there is limited knowledge concerning which means of intervention are effective in mediating or eliminating [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) premarital sexual relations and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) pregnancy; and
    - (C) it is necessary to expand and strengthen such knowledge in order to develop an array of approaches to solving the problems of [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) premarital sexual relations and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) pregnancy in both urban and rural settings.
- (b) Therefore, the purposes of this subchapter are—
  - (1) to find effective means, within the context of the family, of reaching [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) before they become sexually active in order to maximize the guidance and support available to [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) from parents and other [family members](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-15), and to promote self discipline and other prudent approaches to the problem of [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) premarital sexual relations, including [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) pregnancy;
  - (2) to promote adoption as an alternative for [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) parents;
  - (3) to establish innovative, comprehensive, and integrated approaches to the delivery of [care services](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-7) both for pregnant [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9), with primary emphasis on unmarried [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) who are seventeen years of age or under, and for [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) parents, which shall be based upon an assessment of existing [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and, where appropriate, upon efforts to establish better coordination, integration, and linkages among such existing [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) in order to—
    - (A) enable pregnant [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) to obtain proper care and assist pregnant [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) parents to become productive independent contributors to family and community life; and
    - (B) assist families of [adolescents](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) to understand and resolve the societal causes which are associated with [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) pregnancy;
  - (4) to encourage and support research [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) and demonstration [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) concerning the societal causes and consequences of [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) premarital sexual relations, contraceptive use, pregnancy, and child rearing;
  - (5) to support evaluative research to identify effective [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) which alleviate, eliminate, or resolve any negative consequences of [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) premarital sexual relations and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) childbearing for the parents, the child, and their families; and
  - (6) to encourage and provide for the dissemination of results, findings, and information from [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and research [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) relating to [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) premarital sexual relations, pregnancy, and parenthood.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XX, § 2001, as added Pub. L. 97–35, title IX, § 955(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 578; amended Pub. L. 98–512, § 2(b), (c), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2409.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1984—Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 98–512, § 2(b), struck out reference relating to developmental disabilities and inserted provision relating to importance of education, training, and job research services for adolescent parents.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 98–512, § 2(c), inserted “both” before “for pregnant adolescents”.