Teenage pregnancy strategy

NCMA has responded to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now the Department for Education) consultation on Teenage Pregnancy Strategy: Beyond 2010.
 
The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy aims to tackle both the causes and the consequences of teenage pregnancy. The strategy's targets are to halve the under-18 conception rate and increase the proportion of teenage parents in education, training or employment to reduce their risk of long-term social exclusion.
 
In the response NCMA calls on the Government to support the development of a Quality Improvement Childminding Network in every local authority to ensure that there is suitable care for the children of teenage parents so they have the option of returning to school or training.

 

Furthermore, access to networks gives parents the opportunity to choose registered childminders to deliver the free entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds and therefore benefit from support by Government with the cost of childcare.
 
The response also includes details of two case studies from the NCMA Teen Parent Project in Lincolnshire which show how registered childminders working with young parents are successfully supported families back into training or work.
 

For more information please contact tim.farrow@ncma.org.uk