Lincolnshire - teen parents

Lincolnshire: Teen Parent Project

The Teen Parent Project aims to increase the number of young parents returning to school and education by supporting them to find registered childminders to care for their children. The project is delivered by NCMA in partnership with Tackling Teenage Pregnancy (TTP).
 

The service we manage

Often the daunting task of juggling the challenges of parenting, childcare and returning to school or college is too much for some young parents. The project supports young parents every step of the way to find a registered childminder who gives them the confidence they need to return to their place of learning.

 

A home visit is offered to discuss childcare needs and options, with accompanied visits to up to three childminders, working locally, that match the needs of the parent concerned. Continued support is also available once the care is in place.
 
Young parents under the age of 20 returning to education and learning are eligible for Care to Learn to pay for their childcare, and the parents participating in he project are supported to access this scheme.

Results

To date there are 25 childminders working with young parents across the county.  There have been 40 referrals to the service, which has successfully helped 18 young parents back to education.

 

The service team

This team contains 11 members of staff and also provides a service to childminders that will meet their needs so that they can offer high quality services to children, young people, their parents and carers.

 

As well as providing an inclusion project and a teen parent project, the Lincolnshire team provide a vacancy matching service (which is linked to schools and children’s centres) and a peer support project where existing childminders are given advice and support by a coordinator in order to mentor new and existing childminders with day to day childminding issues.

 

The NCMA staff team also provide a recruitment service for the local authority to develop new childminder places in accordance with targets identified by the childcare sufficiency audit.

 

For more information, please contact Ruth Moore, Service Manager ruth.moore@ncma.org.uk

 

Page last updated: 11/17/2011