Access to Social Protection of Teenage Mothers in The Northeast: Case Study of The Child Support Grant

Abstract

Teenage mothers in low-income families are considered a high social-risk group who often rely on social assistance and social protection programs to prevent and eliminate risks from uncertain economic and social situations and other threats. The objectives of this study are to explore social assistance for teenage mothers, examine the access to the Child Support Grant among teenage mothers in the northeastern region, and propose solutions to address challenges, obstacles, and needs related to accessing such programs for teenage mothers in the northeastern region. To acknowledge the teenage mothers' current support program and social protection status in a case study of the Child Support Grant. The research methodology employed in-depth interviews to gather data.

The result has shown that most teenage mothers are able to receive the support to access the Child Support Grant. The accessibility and procedures were convenient. None of the informants reported any problems regarding the expenses to access the grant. However, the informants commented that the program did not cover the target group due to insufficient grant funding to raise children. The informants who received the grant were socially accepted and satisfied with the program. The needs, expectations toward the program, and suggestions were as follows: 1) All government departments accessing the childcare grant should be integrated. Also, public relations should be improved, especially on social media. 2) The grant should be increased to conform to the current cost of living. 3) online registration should be facilitated to make procedures more convenient. 4) The program should be applied to "all teenage mothers " or, in addition, tax deduction benefits should be introduced for teenage mothers who choose not to receive the grant.