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CFOC Backgrounder
Established in 1987, CFOC was initially formed to address the high teen birth rate in Maryland through a comprehensive, hands-on program to educate children, parents and the general public. A joint effort of public and private sectors, CFOC’s first-of-its-kind, abstinence-plus program successfully contributed to consecutive annual decreases in Maryland’s teen birth and pregnancy rates. When CFOC began its work in Maryland, the state’s teen birth rate was the fourth highest in the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Maryland’s teen pregnancy rate among girls 15 to 19 decreased almost 20 percent from 1995 to 2000. Since its inception, the program has contributed greatly to the overall national decline in births to teens. CFOC’s materials have been incorporated into adolescent prevention programs, schools and community organizations in all 50 states and in other countries such as Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Canada, Yugoslavia and Germany.