Care to Learn Scheme

(asked on 5th March 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many learners have been supported through Care to Learn funding in each of the last five years; and how much has been spent through that same funding in (a) total (b) in each region in each of the last five years.


Answered by
Anne Milton Portrait
Anne Milton
This question was answered on 13th March 2018

The funding and participation data for the Care to Learn scheme is outlined in the table below.

Academic year

Number of young parents claiming Care to Learn support

Total Care to Learn funding

2013/14

5,674

£24,509,846

2014/15

4,322

£18,681,641

2015/16

3,243

£14,694,559

2016/17

2,802

£12,175,798

We do not hold this data by region and we are unable to provide figures prior to 2013/14 as the systems which support the Care to Learn scheme have changed.

Care to Learn provides support with childcare costs to young parents who are in education. Young parents are able to claim up to £175 per child per week in London and £160 per child per week elsewhere. This level of support was applicable to all the academic years quoted above.

The data shows that numbers taking up this support have fallen in recent years. A review of the scheme found this to be driven by a reduction in teenage pregnancy rates as well as an overall fall in the number of 16-19 year olds. The Care to Learn scheme is demand led and the department has no direct influence over the number of students that apply for the support.

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