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More facts
Click here to download our handy fact file which summarises some the main facts about young mums and lists our sources.
To download documents in PDF format, you will need a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To make it easy for you explore some of the facts we have divided them up as follows:
Respect: attitudes to young mums
Education: school, training and employment
Services: health, housing and social support
Pounds and pence: income and financial support
Equality: rights and equal treatment
Childcare: access to childcare services
Trust: giving young mums greater recognition and trust
| Respect: attitudes to young mums |
| • | In 1970, young women aged 15 to 19 in England and Wales were almost twice as likely to become young mums as they are today |
| • | 33 per cent of the public felt that age had an impact on a young woman's ability to be a mother |
| • | 78.9 per cent of young mums felt that motherhood had increased their determination to get a good job |
| Education: school, training and employment |
| • | 48 per cent of professionals believe that young mums are not interested in education |
| • | Reintegration officers are extremely successful in helping young mums continue with their education, yet only one third of local education authorities (LEAs) have them |
| • | Our LEA survey showed that pregnant young women were given an average of five hours home tuition a week compared with the 24 hours they receive in school. This means they are unlikely to access the full curriculum |
| • | Only 30 per cent of LEAs offer young women the opportunity to go to a centre specifically for pregnant young women and young mothers |
| Services: health, housing and social support |
| • | There is no evidence that teenage mothers become pregnant to get housing and benefits. Most have little knowledge of housing before getting pregnant and what they do know often turns out to be wrong |
| • | Seven out of ten 15- and 16-year-old mothers and around half of 17- and 18-year-olds stay living at home |
| • | 49 per cent of the public think young mums get pregnant to get council housing, according to our NOP poll |
| Pounds and pence: income and financial support |
| • | Pregnant women under 16 cannot claim any benefits; pregnant 16- to 18-year-olds can claim between £33.50 and £44.05 a week; those over 25 get £55.65 |
| • | When they have their baby, mums aged 16 to 18 can claim a maximum of £112.56 in benefits per week, whereas mothers aged 18 and over can get £124.16 per week |
| • | The estimated cost of equipment, nappies, clothes etc for a new baby is about £3,000 |
| Equality: rights and equal treatment |
| • | 85% of respondents in our NOP poll believed that young mums should have equal rights to statutory maternity leave, minimum benefits and affordable childcare. Two thirds were not aware of the discrepancies in these areas |
| • | Young mums take the responsibilites of parenthood very seriously: we have found that the needs of their children are always high on the agenda |
| • | Early motherhood is not automatically a cause for concern. The majority of young mums cope well and their children also fare well |
| Childcare: access to childcare services |
| • | A lack of suitable childcare is often a problem for young mums considering a return to education |
| • | Typical weekly costs for a full-time nursery place range from £103-£169 although prices as high as £338 have been found |
| • | Childminder and creches tend to have set hours, few will accommodate for late classes or a full day at college and even fewer will offer the mother time to study out of hours |
| Trust: giving young mums greater recognition and trust |
| • | Young mothers in care have reported they have become more responsible and less prone to anti-social behaviour as a consequence of motherhood |
| • | Quality support for young mums gives them a sense of worth and achievement |
YWCA has produced a detailed charter document, based on our research. It calls for changes in policy and practice affecting young mums. View and download it here as a pdf file.
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