As well as the emotional cost to both parents and children of the removal of children into care, there is also a financial one. Here too Pause has a positive impact. An independent evaluation, carried out for the Department for Education, found that, because women were able to take a pause from pregnancy there were significant cost savings. It was estimated that for each £1 spent, £1.38 was saved by children’s services departments alone.
Other services also see savings as a result of Pause. Reductions in the number and severity of incidents of domestic violence equates to an average saving of between £350 and £1,180 per woman on the Pause programme per year. Reductions in harmful alcohol use save an average of £111 per woman on the Pause programme per year, while reductions in Class A drug use by women result in annual average savings of £3,500 per woman.
Savings are often even higher at a local level.
Pause supports the women to access the most appropriate services in the most effective way. As a result, they are able to access education and training, and secure and sustain tenancies. Find out more about our impact.