Education and support transforms the lives of NZ teenage mum
Education and support transforms the lives of NZ
teenage mums, UC research
finds
April 14,
2013
New Zealand has the second highest
rate of teenage births among developed countries, after the
United States, and a University of Canterbury (UC)
researcher has found young parents need access to
respectful, one-stop, wrap-around support services.
UC education researcher Dr Jenny Hindin-Miller
says access to nurturing and responsive education, quality
early childhood education for their children and support
with transport are key elements in helping New Zealand’s
teenage mothers to create better futures for themselves and
their children.
``Ongoing access to education is
the most practical and constructive way to really help
improve the lives and circumstances of young parents and
their children. Twenty dedicated teen parent schools around
the country are working to meet the many needs of teenage
parents.
``In the year to March 2011, 4374 babies
were born to New Zealand teenage mothers. The rates have not
increased since the 1980s and are significantly lower than
their peak in the 1970s because of improvements in
contraceptive technologies, as well as increased access to
abortion. Two thirds of the 4734 births were to mothers aged
18 and 19.
``Young parents need extra support
because they are often socially isolated, financially
disadvantaged and lacking in support networks.
"The young women whom I interviewed commonly faced
issues of social stigma and prejudice which makes it
difficult for them to access appropriate services and
support , and contributes to their isolation,’’ Dr
Hindin-Miller says.
Networks including midwives and
Plunket, income support workers, education and health
services and parenting support are needed, as well as
appropriate training for frontline staff and professionals
in how to work respectfully and non-judgementally with
teenage parents.
``Because of the increased age
(around 30 years) of first time parents in New Zealand,
teenage parents are often viewed as being too young to
parent well, despite many of them becoming very good
parents.
``Negative attitudes are unhelpful and
often inaccurate. Many schools would prefer young pregnant
students to leave because it is just too difficult to meet
their educational and other needs. Some school authorities
still regard them as a bad influence on other students.
Other schools are very helpful in referring their pregnant
teens to teen parent units set up specifically to cater to
their needs.
``My findings showed that the young
teen mothers I interviewed who had attended a teen parent
school were mostly successful educationally and in other
aspects of their lives which are valued in our society, such
as careers and home ownership. In fact their life
trajectories appeared not to have been delayed or
disadvantaged by becoming parents early.
``They
strongly believed that their own lives had been greatly
enriched and enhanced by becoming parents and returning to
education. They attributed this to a number of things.
``For some their pre-parenting lives had been
characterised by high levels of risk-taking, and some of
these young women made significant lifestyle changes because
they were going to become parents. Almost all had disliked
secondary school. Their often outstanding educational
achievements at the Teen Parent School, and in tertiary
education after leaving the school, had transformed their
lives.’’
ENDS