The 3m, three-year initiative, carried out in partnership with the National Childminding Association (NCMA), will take place in North-east Lincolnshire, Blackpool, Barking and Dagenham in London and the London borough of Greenwich. Its aim is to help teenage mothers to stay in full-time education, training and employment. They can use the NCMA's Children Come First approved childminding networks for up to 16 hours of free childcare a week, as well as parental support.
Employment and equal opportunities minister Margaret Hodge said the aim was to break the cycle of teenage parenthood and a lifelong dependency on benefits. 'Teenage mums were often themselves born to teenage parents, and if they have daughters, they are likely to become teenage mothers,' she said. 'We want to break that cycle by helping this generation to raise their educational attainment levels, raise their expectations, and move out of poverty and into work.'
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