Playin' It Safe

Local girls experience being a teenage parent

August 2009

Six young women from Warndon in Worcester, an area with a high teenage pregnancy rate, have experienced reality of being a teenage parent as part of the Life Choice Programme.

The 12 week long course covered STIs, pregnancy and how young people are affected by the media. After they had completed the course, the young women, aged 12-16, were taken on a trip to Pontin's Brean Sands Holiday Park with their own RealCare baby to look after for three days.

RealCare babies are just as demanding as real babies and provide a realistic parenting simulation. Each young person had to care for their baby, including feeding, burping, rocking and nappy changing. The baby monitors the quality of care it receives, and reports on the numbers of times each type of care was provided. It also records the number and times of failed requests for care, as well as frequency of being placed in the wrong position, rough handling and shaking.

Taking care of the RealCare baby allowed the young women to experience the difficulties and challenges of being teenage mums first hand. Tasks included: getting on a bus with a baby and all its equipment; getting ready for an evening out; and running a household, including cooking and cleaning.

Leonie Silk, Worcestershire County Council's Senior Detached Youth Worker for Targeted Youth Support, said: "The girls rose to the challenge and were able to work with each other on the different tasks, but many found it difficult when trying to get ready for their night out, with many changes of clothes and straightening hair! The girls all found that looking after a baby is hard work and became very aware of the sacrifices a parent has to make to care for their child.”

The six young women who took part in the programme received Youthworcs awards and Life Choice accreditations.