RCOYC
RCHF’s commitment to the well-being of Riverside’s Youth is manifested not only within its own programs but also in its strong partnerships with other entities similarly dedicated. "Youth are at such a crossroads in their life and they are often making decisions that could affect them for their entire life!" – Bridgette Canson, Supervisor, Riverside County Department of Public Health Adolescent Family Services.
A multi-agency coalition, RCOYC strives to raise teen pregnancy awareness as well as address other teen issues. RCOYC’S mission is to improve the health and well-being of Riverside teens by addressing unintended and teen pregnancy issues through youth development. The Coalition is dedicated to providing prevention education and activities, leadership training, and promoting responsible parenting, family and community involvement through community based partnerships. Because teen pregnancy is a complex issue, caused and influenced by a variety of social and environmental factors, it must be addressed on a multi-faceted level, with guidance and support from agencies of varying specialties including education, clinics/Family PACT providers, health education, and after school programs.
"Teen pregnancy affects futures—not only the future of the teens themselves, but also the future of their children. One organization alone--or even a few organizations and agencies working together--isn’t enough to deal with such a large issue. Most local agencies providing pregnancy prevention services are only funded for a limited time, and when that funding ends, so do many of the programs and services they offer. For any effort to be truly sustainable, members of the community must also be invested in addressing the issue of teen pregnancy and be willing to help in any way they can." – Dr. Michael Matthews, Evaluation and Research Consultant, Nexus Consulting.