The Education Now and Babies Later (ENABL) is an abstinence program that has operated for several years in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The purpose ENABL is to provide culturally appropriate, holistic primary teen pregnancy programs in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The ENABL has received support from various organizations including, the Miami-Dade County Health Department and the South Florida Employment & Training Consortium under Workforce/Welfare Transition to Work Initiative. Currently, the program is subsidized solely by MDCPS. 

The Program

ENABL is a unique multifaceted effort at direct education, mass media, parental involvement and community support.

ENABL helps adolescents handle sexual maturation and resist pressures to become sexually active.

ENABL utilizes the curriculum “Postponing Sexual Involvement “ (PSI) developed by Marion Howard, Ph.D. of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

ENABL promotes parental involvement with their children about sexuality issues.

The ENABL Model

• Provides accurate information on abstinence.

• Is developmentally appropriate.

• Encourages culturally appropriate program activities.

• Coordinates messages to target both young women and men.

• Offers long term and consistent support to a select group of students; and,

• Offers psychological counseling, and referrals to other programs for individual needs and family distress.

This approach sets clearly defined and realistic goals and objectives, encourages community collaboration, parent participation, and creates opportunities for both staff and students to succeed and encourages community ownership.

   Services

The Postponing Sexual Involvement (PSI) classes are taught to fifth and sixth grade students by trained educators. In addition, a master’s level social worker provides case management and follow-up to selected middle school students needing additional social services to achieve academic success. The following services are provided:

·        Individual Student Support Plans

·        Information and Referrals to Ancillary Services

·        Home Visits

·        Individual and Group Counseling

·        Serving as a liaison between the home and school

Goals

·        To increase high school graduation rates

·        To decrease the number of births to teens

·        To increase the number of students receiving post-secondary education and/or vocational training

·        To promote economic self-sufficiency

For more information about the ENABL program, please contact the office at (305) 636-7374.