What is the Young Parent Program (YPP)?
The Young Parent Program is provided to young parents who want to re-engage back into education to complete their High School. The program works alongside Balga Senior High School to support parents to complete their education to achieve their West Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).
What age can I be to be involved in the program?
The Young Parent Program supports young parents. Young People over the age of 18 years can attend the program on the thursday. This means that education needs to be sourced through other means such as TAFE.
Young Parents , who are pregnant or have children, and want to finish their education are encouraged to get in contact with our Parent Support Workers to learn more about the program.
Is the Progam free?
Yes, the Young Parent Program is free. However, when parents begin to utilise the childcare centre, there is a small fee.
What days do I attend school at Balga Senior High School?
Young Parents are required to attend school Monday to Wednesday. Thursday is our dedicated Young Parent Program day. Depending on circumstances, Friday can be used as study, work place experience or a respite day (if your baby is under 6 months of age).
I havent been to school in a while, will that affect my learning?
No, We have a Young Parent Program teacher who is dedicated to supporting our young parents to achieve their educational goals. Prior to beginning the program, you will meet with the teacher to discuss your goals and needs for your education.
What happens on Thursdays?
On Thursdays, all young parents enrolled in the program participate in the Young Parent Progam. During the morning they engage in Child-Parent Bonding activities such as Messy play, Swimming Lessons and other activities to boost the bond between parent and child. Lunch is provided by the Childcare, then afterwards the parent's engage in a 2 hour workshop based on their request or needs. For example, services such as Headspace will be invited in to present on Mental Health. For their last hour of the day, they will be with the YPP Teacher catching up on school work they may have missed out on.
Can I access the program during any stage of my pregnancy?
Yes, the program supports all expecting young parents, and young parents with children. The Parent Support Worker's can assist Young Parents with Antenatal information and transport to apppointments if need be. Pregnant Parents recieve Maternity Leave from school for 8 weeks from the birth of their child. During these 8 weeks, the Parent Support Worker is available to support them as need be.
When can I return from Maternity leave?
Young Parents are encourged to return to school after 8 weeks of Maternity Leave. During their leave, young parents can be given school work to complete from home if they want. These 8 weeks are to help the young parent bond with their child and create a routine for when they return to school. Baby is also old enough to access childcare once they are 8 weeks old and recieve their 6-8 week immunisations.
Who looks after my baby while I attend classes?
The Teen Family Centre has an accredited Childcare Centre on the grounds of Balga Senior High School. While the parents are attending their classes, their children are being care for by dedicated and qualified Childcare Educators, who also plan activities and programs for the children throughout the day.
How do I enrol for YPP?
Enrolling for the Young Parent Program is easy. The young parent, their family members or any supports can contact the Teen Family Centre to request information about the program. We also have an online enrolment here, which you can provide information to our Parent Support Workers about you, your pregnancy and your education goals.
Once our Parent Support Worker has recieved your information, they will be in contact to arrange a day for you to visit the centre, meet the Childcare staff, and YPP teacher to discuss your educational journey. From there, you will be able to pick classes and begin attending school at Balga Senior High School.