Teen center at the brink

By Staff Reports

The Teen Health Center in Rock Hill is one of many nonprofit agencies that are suffering because of lack of funding. The danger is that the local safety net will become so frayed that the community will suffer negative repercussions for years to come.

The Teen Health Center grew out of the York County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council, which was founded by Judi Gustafson in 1989. She served as the council's director for 15 years before retiring in 2004.

When the council was formed, York County had the second-highest teen pregnancy rate in the state. But by 1995, the rate had dropped by 41 percent, and, for the next decade remained among the lowest in the state.

The York County operation became a model for other teen pregnancy programs around the state. Much of that success must be credited to Gustafson, who waged an often lonely crusade for common sense in helping young people avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

The mission of the Teen Health Center, which opened in 2001, has evolved and grown. In addition to addressing pregnancy prevention, the center deals with a variety of issues faced by teens of both genders.

The center, located in office space behind Earth Fare on Cherry Road, provides physical and mental health services, health education and counseling and mentoring to 11- to 18-year-old York County children and their families. Programs include self-esteem classes, a poetry writing group, a baby-sitting club, games and a variety of other choices. Center officials believe the best approach to preventing pregnancy is a comprehensive response to teens' diverse needs.

Teens who use the center come from all socio-economic groups. Some are referred by doctors. Some are sent by family court judges and juvenile probation officers. Some are sent by the Children's Attention Home to participate in certain activities.

But this service does not come cheap. It costs about $290,000 a year to run the center. And money from traditional sources is drying up.

The center usually receives operating money from state grants, Medicaid, the United Way, donations and fundraisers. Money from all those sources has dropped substantially, and the center is in danger of having to shut its doors -- at a time when the county's teen pregnancy rate is rising.

If that happens, we suspect that some other agencies in the county could provide some of the services offered by the Teen Health Center. But we know of no other agency that provides all those services in one place with the specific goal of preventing teen pregnancy, counseling young people on health issues and providing health services under one roof.

Closing is not a certainty. The center will hold a fundraiser on March 21 at the Old Cotton Factory in downtown Rock Hill. The event will feature live music, heavy hors d'oeuvres, and alcoholic drinks. For tickets, call 803-366-9119.

We realize that the economic downturn has meant hardship for most local charitable and social help organizations. We hope, however, that the community is aware of what can be lost if these services go away.