Young Mums School Project

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Young Mums _at_ School Project

• Education Can B 4 Everyone

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Barriers to Learning

• Young pregnant women were facing life altering
  choices and decisions
• They had a change in responsibilities
• Family disruption and stress
• Worries about what people would think
• Feeling unwell
• Juggling school and looking after their baby
• Missed school work
• Not wanting to leave their baby

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What Support Was Already Available?

• Support from Guidance and Pupil Support Staff
• Mainstream antenatal care
• Outreach teachers working with the young women at
  home or in her own community

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Why We Needed This Project

• In 2001 it was highlighted by a range of
  professionals, that young pregnant women at
  school were not completing their education or
  accessing mainstream antenatal services.
• A mapping exercise was then undertaken by Sure
  Start. Our existing young parents were consulted
  and also shared this view.

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What Else Could We Do?

• Sure Start felt we needed to dedicated worker to
  offer a comprehensive and cohesive service
• A proposal was accepted and funding was provided
  by Changing Childrens Services Fund
• The funding enabled Sure Start to offer
  specialist childminders to the young women and
  also a development worker

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Lift off!!

• A 2 year pilot was to be carried out from 2002
  2004 throughout
• West Lothian
• Sure Start offered information sessions to each
  of the secondary schools to promote the service
• Referrals could be made into the service by
  Social Work, Health and Education

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What Did We Offer?

• Liasing with the school and the young women

• 11 support which
• looked at lifestyle changes, family issues and
  supporting young women to access mainstream
  antenatal services

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Working Together

• The worker facilitated a timetable with the
  school and the pregnant young women which would
  meet her existing needs

• After the baby was born a realistic plan was
  discussed to enable the mum to continue with her
  education

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Specialist Childminding Service

• Sure Start recruited additional childminders who
  were able to support the young women and their
  babies needs more appropriately
• Childminders were also identified that lived
  close to the school or home of the parent
• Parents generally took their babies to and from
  the childminders unless
• there were exceptional
• circumstances

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Reality Pack

• Throughout the 2 year pilot additional
• funding from Social Inclusion Partnership
• was sought to put together a Reality Pack
• for other pregnant young women.
• This resource was put together with other
• young parents relating to topics they thought
• would be helpful

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Evaluation

• The Young Mums _at_School Project evaluated well
  after the 2yr pilot
• 5 young women were supported in the 2yrs with 3
  returning to finish their education
• 1 of the young women stayed onto
• 5th Yr and then went onto further education

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What Happened Next?

• After the evaluation Sure Start consulted again
  with other young parents and still found that
  young pregnant women under 20yrs were still not
  accessing mainstream antenatal care

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YM2B

• YM2B (Young Mums To Be) was formed. A Sure Start
  group, in conjunction with health offered support
  and information to young pregnant women.
• This group was to compliment mainstream antenatal
  care and was available to all young pregnant
  women 20yrs and under.

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YM2B

• Young women under the age of 16yrs were offered
  this group in addition to the support they
  received through the
• Young Mums _at_ School Project

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Where Are We Now?

• There has been a continual growth in the
  referrals Sure Start have received to support
  young pregnant women at school
• Sure Start has also developed additional groups
  to meet parenting needs for young parents and
  their children
  
  

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Gemma Louis