JAMAICA’S adolescent mothers programme at the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation has been recognised as a “good practice programme and a model for other countries grappling with the issue of teen pregnancy”.

This is according to the 2013 United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of the World Population publication — Motherhood in Childhood: Facing the Challenge of Adolescent Pregnancy.

Commenting on the UNFPA recognition, Sandrea Falconer, minister with responsibility for information in the Office of the Prime Minister said it is an important recognition of the work being done by the Women’s Centre Foundation in reintegrating young mothers into the formal education system, which will serve to further encourage the efforts of the government and the Women’s Centre in ensuring teen mothers have an opportunity to better their lives through continued education, counselling and training.

The UNFPA report noted that during the 2011-2012 school year, the Women’s Centre facilitated the continuing education to 1,402 adolescent mothers and was effective in helping students complete their secondary education as more than half were successfully reintegrated in the formal education system.

The UNFPA report was launched globally late last year.