Teen Childbearing Costs in NH

Teen childbearing in New Hampshire cost taxpayers $20 million in 2010, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

The campaign's nationwide estimate is $9.4 billion.

There were 19,293 teens having a baby in New Hampshire between 1991 and 2010. The state saw a 52 percent drop in the teen birth rate over the span, however, which saved taxpayers an estimated $33 million in 2010 alone, according to the campaign. The report cites cost factors associated with public health care, such as Medicaid and CHIP, and "increased risk of participation in child welfare."

"In addition to improving the wellbeing of children, youth, and families, reducing teen pregnancy also saves taxpayer dollars," Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, said in a press release. "Even though teen pregnancy and childbearing are at historic lows, the still-high public costs associated with teen childbearing remind us all that complacency should not hinder further progress and that progress should not be confused with victory."

The analysis was partly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.