Conceptual Models for Adulthood Preparation Subjects within the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP)

The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) is one of the largest federally funded programs designed to address adolescent pregnancy. PREP is administered by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) in the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). PREP grantees may design their programs, adhering to requirements in the legislation to: (1) implement evidence-based or evidence-informed curricula; (2) provide education on abstinence and contraception for the prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and HIV; (3) educate youth on at least three of six adulthood preparation subjects (APSs) to support the transition to adulthood; and (4) focus on high-risk populations. The APSs include: healthy relationships, adolescent development, financial literacy, parent-child communication, education and career success, and healthy life skills.

FYSB and the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within ACF contracted with Mathematica and its partner, Child Trends, to develop conceptual models to help PREP grantees, as well as other practitioners, implement the APSs. The conceptual models are to help PREP grantees understand and select APSs, develop APS-related content, and target specific outcomes in their programs. This report presents conceptual models for the six APSs, and a unified framework that identifies commonalities across the models and provides guidance for including a PYD approach in APS programming.

Listed below are the individual chapters.

Chapter 1: Introduction to APS Conceptual Models for PREP

Chapter 2: Methods for Developing APS Conceptual Models

Chapter 3: Conceptual Model for Addressing Adolescent Development in PREP

Chapter 4: Conceptual Model for Addressing Educational and Career Success in PREP

Chapter 5: Conceptual Model for Addressing Financial Literacy in PREP

Chapter 6: Conceptual Model for Addressing Healthy Life Skills in PREP

Chapter 7: Conceptual Model for Addressing Healthy Relationships in PREP

Chapter 8: Conceptual Model for Addressing Parent-Child Communication in PREP

Chapter 9: Unified Framework for Addressing Adulthood Preparation Subjects in PREP

Chapter 10: Considerations for Using Conceptual Models to Select and Implement APS Topics in PREP