Among the findings of the project, which used questionnaires, events and project visits to explore young parents understanding of family learning, were:
- Young parents' main motivation for getting involved in learning activities was to combat isolation by meeting other young parents and sharing their experiences of parenting.
- Young parents had a range of emotional and practical support needs that had to be met before they could settle into and effectively engage in a learning programme. These included free on-site childcare, a suitable environment, and dealing with relationships and chaotic lifestyles.
The report, Family learning - does that include us?' Young Parents' experience of adult learning, by Linda Smith, Jeanne Haggart and Yanina Dutton, also looks at organisations offering learning activities.It found that the majority of funding for programmes in these organisations, other than Sure Start, was short term and did not support the amount of time required for staff to develop trusting relationships with young parents. It also found the group least targeted by providers was young fathers and that to attract them into provision organisations offered more practical activities such as football or construction sessions.
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