Such was the case of one family that has been with West Bay for the last five years. Maria, a single mother with four kids, ages 12, 11, 9, and 7, had just left an abusive relationship and came to the center seeking services. At the time, the family had no stable housing and lived in a one room transitional housing. The mother did odd jobs that provided $100 a month, though she couldn't read, write and speak English.

With West Bay's assistance, the family was able to enroll in CalWORKs and food stamps programs so that the mother could enroll in ESL classes and be able to eventually gain better employment. At the same time, West Bay helped them apply for low-income housing and they were placed into a three-bedroom home. The kids were enrolled in West Bay's After School program in 2007 and were earning above average grades. In fact, Laura, the younger sister has a rather amazing success story. Laura was born with a cleft palette, which UCSF fixed with a series of operations after West Bay was able to raise funds. As a result, her self-confidence increased, as did her GPA, She started to consistently earn a 4.0 GPA and in 2008, Laura was awarded the Wesby, West Bay's trophy for academic excellence. This year, Laura was even accepted to Lowell High School, one of the most prestigious public high schools in the country. After three years, it seemed that the family's situation had finally stabilized.

This teen pregnancy story focuses on the oldest child, whom we'll call Lolita. Lolita is now 17 and, up until a few months ago, was in school with a 3.3 GPA. She was enrolled in our After School Program, involved in JROTC and cheerleading, with plans to enroll in a Nursing program at a four-year university. However, her plans drastically changed when we all learned that Lolita was pregnant. Lolita then had to transfer to Hilltop High, a school specifically for pregnant teenagers.

After she gave birth, she decided to return to her previous high school. Because caring for the baby has become a priority, Lolita often misses her classes to do so, and is in danger of getting kicked out of school altogether for missing too many classes. As of now, Lolita only has a 10th grade education.

Of course, Lolita isn't the only one affected by what happened. Her mother and younger siblings are now all affected. Caring for the newborn baby, Lolita's mother has missed an alarming number of her ESL classes, and the younger sibling's grades have all suffered. We assume it's because the family now takes turns taking care of the baby, often resulting in someone missing school.

With additional mouth to feed, money and resources continue to be a pervasive issue and threats of eviction for unpaid rent and overdue utility bills became problematic.

Laura, the younger sister's progress has started a downward spiral as well, imitating the way Lolita dresses and looks, finding herself with the same group of friends her older sister used to keep. She rarely shows up at the After School Mentorship Program to study or complete all her homework assignments and is now struggling in school with a 1.6 GPA. This worries all of us for so many reasons, as it gives more suspicion for a perpetuating cycle. Our biggest concerns are that Lolita will get pregnant again, or that Laura, her younger sister, who has been the pride and hope of the family up until recently, will also get pregnant before she graduates high school.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, second-generation Filipina Americans have the highest rates of teen pregnancy and out-of-wedlock pregnancy when compared to other Asian American groups. One study revealed 6% of the total number of births to Filipina American mothers was teenagers, which was higher than all other Asian American groups. Filipina Americans who are born and raised in the US are almost four times more likely to get pregnant and give birth than their immigrant-born counterparts. Despite the fact Filipino American teenagers are engaging in higher levels of sexual activity, they have little knowledge about safe sex education and they are less likely to be talking about safe sex practices with their parents.

A film documentary of Maria's family plight will be shown at West Bay's new facility at 11am on December 12, 2009. Invited Filipino American community activists, social workers and educators will host a group discussion that will follow the film showing. Luncheon will be served. To reserve a seat please call 415 431 6266 or send an email to: admin@westbaycenter.org