Childcare grants for teenage parents

Teen parents should have the same chances as others

Teenage parents are to get free childcare worth up to £120 a week to enable them to study for A-levels.

A government investment of £1.5m is to be ploughed into 400 full-time childcare places in an experimental scheme to drive up education standards.

It is funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the government agency responsible for post-16 education and training.

Each of the 47 LSCs throughout England will determine who will benefit from the scheme, and who will provide the places.

The cost of rectifying poor skills and qualifications at a later stage... is more costly

Bryan Sanderson, LSC chairman

Parents could get childcare worth up to £4,000 during the year-long scheme, in theory.

In some cases, the money could be paid to the child's grandparents or other relatives if they were the carers, said a spokesman.

There are 35,000 teenage parents in England - 5,000 of which are currently in further education, at sixth form colleges or still at school.

LSC chairman Bryan Sanderson said: "Supporting young vulnerable groups also makes economic sense as the cost of rectifying poor skills and qualifications at a later stage in peoples' lives is more disruptive and more costly for the community."

Employment prospects

Mr Sanderson said sixth forms have not previously benefited from LSC support for childcare.

He said the limited funds allocated to sixth form colleges for the same purpose in the past may have been too small to help.

"We want to offer the same continuity of learning to teenage parents as is available to other young people, in order to safeguard their future employment prospects and the beneficial effect on their children¿s lives."

Childcare issues have forced many young parents to drop out of school with few or no qualifications.

The scheme aims to both support those already in further education, and encourage others to go back to school.

Cash will come from the LSC's Learner Support Fund, which received a £22m cash boost to £134m for the forthcoming year.

It is hoped the pilot will be successful and become a permanent fixture.