Community Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program
The Community Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program (CAPP) collaborates with community agencies, schools, churches, businesses, youth, and families to provide medically accurate and age-appropriate programming for sexual health and responsible decision-making among Iowa youth.
History
In 1987, then Governor Terry Branstad brought together a group of legislators, policy makers, service organizations, customers and citizens to determine the top five challenges facing Iowa in the future. Teen pregnancy was selected as an area of concern.
Based on recommendations from this group the Iowa Legislature appropriated $500,000 in state dollars to Iowa DHS for an adolescent pregnancy prevention project, now known as CAPP.
Today, 17 partner agencies across Iowa provide services in over 56 counties.
Program Goals
- Prevent initial and subsequent adolescent pregnancies
- Provide education and support to pregnant and parenting teens
- Deliver programs and projects to the community to help establish comprehensive sexual health resources and education.
CAPP Funding
CAPP receives approximately $1.9 million in funding annually through federal TANF funds. Funds are distributed through a competitive request for proposals (RFP) process, and grant awards are recommended by an independent grant review committee. The most recent RFP was released in January 2019 and awarded in June 2019.
Program Structure
CAPP funds are distributed to grantees that collaborate with their broad-based community coalitions to serve adolescents in schools, churches, businesses, out-of-home placement locations and families. These groups provide medically-accurate, age-appropriate comprehensive sexual health education and teach responsible decision making as a method of preventing unintended pregnancies.