why should we continue the teenage
pregnancy strategy with a new government?’
I had to get a clear message across.
My instinctive response was to say, ‘because
we’re finally getting the hang of it’.
I could list many practical improvements
such as reduced conceptions and births to
teenagers. In the 2008 data the under-18
conception rate has fallen to 40.4 per 1000—
a reduction of 13.3% and the lowest level
for over 20 years (Department for Children
Schools and Families (DCSF), Department
of Health (DH), 2010). Other improvements
include better financial support for
childcare, specialist provision to promote
breastfeeding and many more. Above all
the statistics, however, are young mothers and fathers looking after their babies right now, who have benefited from the work the teenage pregnancy strategy has done to support teenage parents