Help for teen mums in North

Teen parents are building better futures for themselves and their children with a new purpose-built school in Kaikohe.

Named Hiwa-i-te-rangi, after a star in the Matariki cluster, the teen parent unit offers NCEA school subjects, and support with facilitating child care and other arrangements.

Recently enrolled Montoyaleigh Poihipi, 18, dreams of becoming a doctor.

Her one-year-old son is cared for at a nearby pre-school programme, meaning Poihipi is free to focus on her studies.

She says the new school means there is an opportunity to become something in the future.

‘‘I have a lot of career plans and it seems possible to do it with the support from teachers and students.

Manager Kim Peita says the unit was first opened last year in Kaikohe in temporary classrooms, with the new centre opened in January.

The centre is open to any parents up to 19-years-old and from pregnancy until the children are four.

There are currently seven students enrolled with the capacity to accommodate parents, she says.

Peita, who was a teen mother herself, says that the unit is about working with the mum’s strengths and moving forward.

‘‘We know what it is like and there can be a lot of stigma around teen parents. They can face a lot of judgement, so we provide a safe place and congratulate them every day they are here.

‘‘We spend time getting to know each student, what level they are at, and what they want to do when they leave.’’

Three teachers facilitate English, Media Studies, Social Sciences and Te Reo, other subjects can be studied via The Correspondence School.

Teenager Bayley Beazley says she dreams of becoming a midwife. After an initial visit to Hiwai-te-rangi, she left her job and has never looked back.

The new site for what was formerly known as the Kaikohe Teen Parent Unit is located on Purdy St, Kaikohe. It has two classrooms, a food technology space and an interview room.

The teen parent unit is governed under the Northland College Board of Trustees. It is currently the only unit of its kind in Northland, outside Whangarei. 30