• Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
Monday, September 15, 2025
Illinois Review
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
No Result
View All Result
Illinois Review
No Result
View All Result
Home Illinois News

Glennon: Best Chicago news in 2017? Historic low teen births

Illinois Review by Illinois Review
December 29, 2017
in Illinois News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
6
26
SHARES
435
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

920x920

You might also like

Buffalo Grove Teacher Tries to Block Kirk Tribute; Nancy Mace Calls to Defund Schools Lacking Accountability

Buffalo Grove Middle School Teacher Sparks Outrage With ‘Karma’ Remark on Charlie Kirk Killing

Trump Pivots From Chicago, Redirects National Guard to Memphis, Citing Local Political Support

By Mark Glennon –

The full impact will materialize only over many years, but my vote for the best news in Chicago this year was the huge drop in teenage births to a historic low. As recently as 1999, the rate of teenage births was over 3.5 times the current rate, and the improvement has been across all racial and ethnic groups. With births now at 27.5 per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19, Chicago is now not far above the national average of 22.3.

Few matters are as well documented by research as the value of waiting to have a baby until you have a committed partner and the financial means to raise a child. Couple it with getting a high school diploma and holding a full-time job and you have a 98% chance of avoiding poverty and joining the middle class.

It’s not just poverty that’s linked to teenage births. The children face increased risk of lives marked by crime, poor educational performance and bad health. According to the federal government, teen childbearing costs U.S. taxpayers between $9.4 and $28 billion a year through public assistance payments, lost tax revenue, and greater expenditures for public health care, foster care, and criminal justice services.

Both the left and right should be pleased with Chicago’s progress since the drop is apparently not attributable to more abortions. Its frequency also dropped in Cook County and statewide, mirroring a national trend that has the rate now at it’s lowest since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

Mayor Emanuel and Chicago’s Department of Public Health credit themselves and federal funding for the drop in teen births. Maybe that’s right, I don’t know — Chicago’s progress is part of a similar national trend. Salute to them if it is right and to anybody else working on the issue.

Young women in poverty seek meaning in their lives by having a child, but end up contributing to the cycle of poverty for themselves and their children.

Maybe that cycle is finally breaking.

*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints. Opinions expressed are his own. 

Published first on Wirepoints, submitted to Illinois Review.

Related

Share10Tweet7
Previous Post

National news focuses on nation’s “worst Republican governor” in Illinois

Next Post

Lawmakers hopeful birth rates improve with tax reform?

Illinois Review

Illinois Review

Founded in 2005, Illinois Review is the leading perspective and source of conservative news, opinion and information in Illinois. Follow Illinois Review on X at @IllinoisReview.

Recommended For You

Buffalo Grove Teacher Tries to Block Kirk Tribute; Nancy Mace Calls to Defund Schools Lacking Accountability

by Illinois Review
September 15, 2025
0
Buffalo Grove Teacher Tries to Block Kirk Tribute; Nancy Mace Calls to Defund Schools Lacking Accountability

By Illinois ReviewA Buffalo Grove middle school teacher who faced backlash for her disturbing remarks after Charlie Kirk’s assassination is now opposing efforts to hold a public tribute...

Read moreDetails

Buffalo Grove Middle School Teacher Sparks Outrage With ‘Karma’ Remark on Charlie Kirk Killing

by Illinois Review
September 14, 2025
0
Buffalo Grove Middle School Teacher Sparks Outrage With ‘Karma’ Remark on Charlie Kirk Killing

By Illinois ReviewA Twin Groves Middle School teacher in Buffalo Grove, Ill., is facing public backlash after posting social media comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie...

Read moreDetails

Trump Pivots From Chicago, Redirects National Guard to Memphis, Citing Local Political Support

by Illinois Review
September 12, 2025
0
Trump Pivots From Chicago, Redirects National Guard to Memphis, Citing Local Political Support

By Illinois ReviewDuring a Friday interview on Fox & Friends, President Donald Trump announced he will deploy the National Guard to Memphis, noting that both the city’s Republican...

Read moreDetails

Opinion: Charlie Kirk, an American Statesman

by John F. Di Leo
September 11, 2025
0
Opinion: Charlie Kirk, an American Statesman

By John F. Di Leo, Opinion ContributorOn September 10, Arlington Heights, Illinois native Charlie Kirk was assassinated while giving a speech at a university in Utah. Though he...

Read moreDetails

Conservative Activist, Chicago Native Charlie Kirk, 31, Fatally Shot at Utah Campus Event

by Illinois Review
September 10, 2025
0
Conservative Activist, Chicago Native Charlie Kirk, 31, Fatally Shot at Utah Campus Event

By Illinois ReviewConservative activist and Chicago native Charlie Kirk, 31 was fatally shot Tuesday during a campus event in Utah, President Donald Trump confirmed in a Truth Social...

Read moreDetails
Next Post

Lawmakers hopeful birth rates improve with tax reform?

Please login to join discussion

Best Dental Group

Related News

IL Freedom Caucus calls on Lurie Children’s Hospital to cease gender services for kids

October 27, 2022

Beckman: Is the Brigham Young University racial slur controversy another hoax?

October 27, 2022

Salvi polling shows closer race

October 27, 2022

Browse by Category

  • America First
  • Education
  • Faith & Family
  • Foreign Policy
  • Health Care
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • Opinion
  • Science
  • Second Amendment
  • TRENDING
  • US NEWS
  • US Politics
  • World News
Illinois Review

llinois Review LLC Editor-in-Chief Mark Vargas General Counsel Scott Kaspar Copyright © 2025 IR Media Corp., all rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • Checkout
  • Home
  • Home – mobile
  • Login/Register
  • Login/Register
  • My account
  • My Account-
  • My Account- – mobile

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • Health Care
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • TRENDING
  • Education
  • Foreign Policy
  • Second Amendment
  • Faith & Family
  • Science
  • World News

llinois Review LLC Editor-in-Chief Mark Vargas General Counsel Scott Kaspar Copyright © 2025 IR Media Corp., all rights reserved.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?