What percentage of teen mothers go on to have 2 or 3 children while staying on the DPB?
It is impossible to answer the question based on the information MSD can provide due to a lack of historical data.
The above tables would indicate that 35,485 mothers (or female caregivers) aged 32 or less who started on welfare as a teenager had 58,004 children.
Some may have added 1; others more, so it is impossible to tell from the above data a specific percentage. But it is clear that Maori and Pacific mothers are considerably more likely to have additional children on a benefit.
There are also a number of other unknowns about the data for instance the dependence on a benefit may not have been continuous. And a very small number might be dependent on a benefit other than the DPB.
1 comment:
Let us consider the depth to these figures
Maori 20% of NZ population
Maori first on a DPB 31,000, more 50%
Add PI mothers 5,500 80% of total mothers
Working in primary care I assist many of these girls who make a deliberate choice of a DPB over an unemployment benefit. Pricipally it is to avoid being hassled to find employment. Generally there are a string of negative pregnancy tests prior to acheiving pregnancy.
Sadly the children already fostered into this system are fates children, prone to violence and all kinds of abuse and criminal future.
Post a Comment