On June 21, 2017, the Cuyahoga County Health and Human Service and Aging Committee approved a contract extension request from the Cuyahoga County Family and Children First Council for ongoing programming aimed at reducing teen pregnancy. The contracts, with Beech Brook and Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio for $10,000 and $20,000, respectively, will be extended through the end of 2017.

The contracts are funded by Cuyahoga County Health and Human Service Levy dollars. Beech Brook and Planned Parenthood will work together with local school district students that have high teen pregnancy rates compared to county and U.S. rates — including Cleveland, South Euclid-Lyndhurst, and Bedford, among others (see teen births mapped by district, below). The students participating in the education seminars are sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders, who will continue to be involved in teen health awareness campaigns and have increased access to health services, among other program offerings.  The resolution discussed was an amended version, as the Law Department sought a technical change to move it forward because of a conflict with Section 501 of Cuyahoga County Code, related to Contracts and Purchasing Procedures.

The HHSA Committee approved the resolution unanimously and it was moved to second reading suspension to Committee of the Whole.