Introduction

Having a baby is hard work and expensive! There are lots of ways you can get support and benefits, and there are local people who are specially trained to work with you and help you get these.

The best thing to do is make sure that the right people know that you have a baby and find out what they are able to do to help you.

About a month after you have had your baby, the midwives who supported you through your pregnancy move on to support other young women, so you won't see them any longer - instead your details will be passed on to a Health Visitor.

If you're still in school then you will continue to be supported by the Re-Integration Officer who can help you get back into school.

If you're over school age then the main contact for you is a Connexions Specialist Teenage Pregnancy Personal Adviser.

All these people can help to make sure you get what you are entitled to.

Benefits:

These include;

• Free prescriptions and dental care for up to 12 months after the birth - for these you will need an exemption certificate, you can apply for this yourself, get the form from your midwife or GP.
• Child Benefit is paid from birth for each child that lives with you and you can get the form from the Job Centre Plus or from the Child Benefit Centre. www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit.
• The Child Trust Fund is a long term savings and investment account for children, the Government pay an amount of money for you to get this started for your child - information about this is sent out to you when you claim Child Benefit.
• Healthy Start vouchers can be used to obtain free vitamins and to help with the costs of milk, infant formula, fruit and vegetables. You were probably eligible for Healthy Start when you were pregnant and probably still will be now that you have a young child - but it will depend on what income and benefit you get. You will need to complete an application form and ask your midwife to countersign it or to send a letter to confirm your pregnancy.
  Healthy Start Tel: 08701 555 455

Work and Education

Being a young parent does not have to mean that you have to leave education or work.

Schools and colleges are getting better at supporting young parents and often offer more support than you think they will.

If you're school aged and living in Manchester, the Re-Integration Officer is there to help you stay in education by getting back into school or being educated with other young mothers at the Leo Kelly Centre.

Connexions Personal Advisors are really successful at helping young mothers find suitable college courses, training opportunities, or work. As part of this they will talk to you about childcare and help you to find something that suits you and your baby.

Childcare

This costs money too - but again there are schemes to help you like;
Care To Learn, this provides financial assistance to support young parents to meet childcare costs whilst undertaking training or learning. Care to Learn will pay up to £160 per child per week to cover the cost of:

• Childcare whilst the parent is learning, on placement, doing private studies, or travelling to or from the childcare provider;
• Registration fees (up to £80) and any deposit normally charged (up to £250);
• Childcare taster and/or settling the child into care before the learning starts;
• Childcare fees that need to be paid during holidays;
• Additional travel costs incurred to take the child to, and collect from, the childcare provider.  

Young people can claim Care to Learn funding if:

• They are a parent and under 20 when starting learning;
• Follow a course in a school or college, try a learning opportunity in the community or train with a learning provider that uses public funds and is a not-for-profit organisation;
• Either a mother or father but has to care for his or her own child or children;
• Use a registered childcare provider.

Further information and application forms from- Care to Learn: 0845 600 2809
or www.direct.gov.uk/caretolearn

Health and Well Being

Keeping you and your baby healthy is really important and there are people specially trained to support you and make it easier for you to do this.
Healthy Start vouchers (see under Benefits) can help you to stay healthy during your pregnancy and after your baby is born.

For Your Baby

Midwives and Health Visitors know lots about nutrition and will encourage you to breastfeed your baby from birth - and not just because it's cheap, it really does help you and your baby's health in lots of different ways.
Attending appointments to check on your baby's development is important and can re-assure you that you are doing the right things!
Immunizations (or vaccinations) are important protection for your baby against lots of diseases - health visitors and your GP can give you advice and information on all of these and explain why they are offered.

For You

If you didn't decide which kind of contraception to use when you discussed this with your midwife after the birth of your baby, there are other trained people who can answer your questions and help you to choose which will work best for you. You can go to a Fresh clinic, Brook or your GP, or the Health Visitor will help you.
The clinics are listed on this website , go to the local services section.
And there's information about the different kinds of contraception in this section (hyperlink) or at www.ruthinking.co.uk

Lots of women experience post natal depression and sometimes other people can see the effects this has on you better than you can yourself, so listen to people who care about you and believe them when they say that talking to somebody about it can help you. You and/or your partner can talk to your Health Visitor, GP or Connexions PA. Different things help different people but one thing that can help is to go to a new parents group where you can chat with the staff and other parents about some of the challenges of having a baby to care for and the changes in your life.

Children's Centres

Manchester has 34 Children's Centres so there will be one near to where you live.
As well as providing childcare, the Centres act as a base for all sorts of other services including health, family support, training and benefits advice. You might already have been there for some of your ante-natal appointments. www.manchesterchildren.org.uk