Government Student Pregnancy and Parenting Policy enables schools and principals to make local decisions to support pregnant and parenting students to continue their schooling. Under this policy, strategies and flexible options to assist pregnant and parenting students to continue education include:
- modifying curriculum to support student and balance workload
- tailor programs using Managed Individual Pathways
- Distance Education Centre Victoria
- Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE can be studied over three years)
- Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning
- Vocational Education and Training (in VCE)
- part-time apprenticeships
- traineeships
Hallam Senior College Young Parents Education Program. YPEP offers young people who are pregnant or parenting, an inclusive education setting where parents bring their baby with them to the program (up to 12 months old or baby is walking, whichever is first) with the aim of completing Year 12. Young parents are supported by a qualified parent supporter with settling, feeding, sleeping and care while they study. The parent supporter provides guidance and assistance with early attachment and parenting skills. YPEP has a full-time VIT registered teacher who supports young parents to develop an Individual Learning Plan and Pathways Plan for smooth destination pathways following graduation.
See here for the website, here for a 5-minute video story of YPEP and here for a newsletter on the program. Contact Mary Tresize-Brown YPEP Project Leader 0430 445 187
Kurnai College Young Parent Program (KYPP) at Morwell helps teenage parents to re-engage in education. It offers essential numeracy and literacy programs and relevant short courses to support them into future careers. Students can work on an individualised VCAL & VET program with ongoing personal and childcare support.
Their aim is to build young parents’ self-esteem, self-worth, aspiration and self-belief so they feel more confident in tackling the future and the obstacles they will face. See here for how young mums have fared in the program.
The KYPP say they are acutely aware of the need for young people to be respected as adults without putting too much pressure on them to be mature beyond their years and ‘…strive for a balance of life skills, social skills and parenting support and strategies’. ‘In achieving these goals students feel they can celebrate themselves and continue to set and achieve short and long term goals.’ KYPP was initiated by the Smith Family. ABC News 7 Dec 2015 – Teenage mothers graduate from high school with help of Young Parent Program.
Northern Bay College Supporting Parents‘ Access to Childcare & Education – SPACE (replaces the Young Parents’ Access Program) offers social services, and education support, assisting with the development of educational pathways for young parents wishing to reengage in education. They offer:
- face to face meetings
- access to free WiFi and computers
- onsite childcare with supportive fee structures
- family and parenting supports
- ongoing mentoring support sessions
- assistance in applying for childcare funding
- scholarships and other financial supports
- community services
- Centrelink support and personal development.
They work to build confidence in completing education and job readiness, applying for long term employment, skills to plan, budget and manage finances, support to build meaningful relationships, assistance to access community survivors and activities and strategies to cope with stress and mental health issues. Contact Family Centre Coordinator if you have any questions. Office hours Mon-Fri 9-5pm. 9 phone 03) 5224 9791 or email
See here for young mums talking about their future.
Yuille Park Community College Young Parents Campus. The program runs from the Delacombe Learning and Education Centre 102 Leawarra Crescent, Delacombe. The Program operates four days per week offering PDS (numeracy), CGEA (Certificate General Education for Adults), VCAL senior literacy and Cert 3 Business Management. This program has been running successfully for many years. Contact 0439 358 152 Megan.Hillas@education.vic.gov.au.
St Joseph’s Flexible Learning Centre is a specialist secondary school for young people aged 12-25 who have disengaged, or are at risk of disengaging from mainstream education. At SJFLC, young people have access to a range of classroom and community-based learning opportunities while supported by both teachers and wellbeing workers in small class groups.
The centre has a classroom dedicated to young parents to engage in education. Young parents may choose to attend school with or without their baby. Parenting support, baby resources, a nursery on site, integrated classroom and children’s room, links to community service providers and outreach visits are provided. Classes run Mon-Fri, 10am to 3pm. There are no fees. Contact the enrolments team on 0417 204 268, sjflc.enrolment@ereafsn.edu.au Location: 385 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne, Vic. There are also campuses in Geelong and Colac. Young people from anywhere in Victoria can enrol.
This inclusive school community offers an integrated 7-10 Junior education program and VCE VM/VET Senior Secondary education program. Young people can participate in a range of electives and special interest groups. Electives include music, physical education (including workout sessions in our own onsite gym), art (including photography) and woodwork. Our special interest groups include the Rainbow Alliance, Young Parents Group and the SJFLC Young Person Leadership Program.
Young people who enrol are eligible for a free student MYKI and are provided all school materials, as well as breakfast, morning tea and lunch each day.