For young children to attain their full potential, they need the five inter-related and indivisible components of

nurturing care: adequate nutrition, good health, safety and security, responsive caregiving and opportunities for

learning. Provision for nurture care in the early years of life of the child is enhanced by close family members.

This explains why secure environments are important for young children and this begins at conception. Teenage

mothers undergo a lot of stressful moments during pregnancy periods due to societal norms and community

attitude towards them. This has led to family and social rejection thus affecting the unborn child and the

development of the child even before birth. This study will investigate ways of enhancing early intervention for

the children who belong to teenage mothers to ensure a safe environment before and after birth. This calls for a

and development before and after. The stakeholders should assess best practices to enhance social economic

empowerment of teenage mothers for them to be well empowered and to bring up their children holistically. The

study will be based on ecological models and data will be collected through meta-analysis from literature review

and successful stories from the teenage mothers.

 Teenage Mothers, Social economic empowerment, Nurture Care

Teenage pregnancy is defined as the pregnancy on women aged between 10-19 years according to World

Health Organization (2018) and it is becoming a major challenge for teenage girls and attainment of

Sustainable Development (SDGs) globally. In most rural developing countries teenage mothers account for

95% and about 2million girls give birth and become mothers before reaching the age of (CLADHO, 2018; Vaz

18.8% of teenage pregnancy and in the E.A region where Kenya has -20.5% (Kassa el al.,2018).

Over one million babies born to teenage girls die before their first birthday, and each year 70,000 teenage girls

die during pregnancy and childbirth. Teenage pregnancy is one of the leading causes of newborn and maternal

mortality in developing countries and it has a major social and economic impact on the mothers and the born

babies, and this calls for multisectoral approach in addressing the causal factors. Most children from such

teenage mothers lack proper nurture care hence impediment to overall holistic development.

Economic empowerment theories believe that teenage girls need economic support to attend to their basic

needs as well as proper skills through education. Studies reveals low Social-economic status as linked to

adolescents first childbirth where risked sex behaviours were linked to poverty (CLADHO, 2016 Commonly

primary sources. This theory by Bowby and Ainsworth 1991 states that early emotional and physical support

from caregivers is essential for healthy emotional adjustment and secure sense of self and responsive caregiving

provides secure attachment. This again provides an environment which allows children to feel secure enough to

build strong relationships. The sociocultural theory suggests that caregivers, parents, peers and culture at large

are responsible for developing higher-order functions as illustrated below.

Sociocultural theory suggests that parents, caregivers, peers, and culture at large are responsible for developing

higher-order functions.

For children aged 0–3, a supportive and positive home nurturing environment is believed to facilitate the

maturation of the hippocampus, thus promoting neurodevelopment in children’s sensory systems, language

emotionally, psychologically and physically. It is therefore important to empower the teenage mothers

emotionally, socially and economically for better nurture care. These calls for good collaboration and

application of good approaches with different stakeholders, community, Institutions of higher family and

Educators of County Government.

The study reveals a high need to promote socio economic empowerment for teenage mothers for proper nurture

care for them and their children. This can be achieved by creating a safe environment for nurture care and

support). Another study based on randomized controlled trials demonstrated the benefits of a good home

nurturing environment, cultivated by parents’ positive parenting skills and emotional support, on children’s

social adaptability and emotional functioning (Wangy el at., (2023). Conversely, exposure to maltreatment and

neglect can increase stress levels, leading to a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) or suspected

developmental delay (SDD) in children (Kalipeni el at., 2017). Another study by Britto et al., (2017) noted that

children living in families with lower socio-economic status (SES) and living in rural areas are more likely to

suffer from SDD, which is closely associated with malnutrition. Parental involvement of teenage mothers, the

immediate family and the community. One of the approaches being used by the Kimbilio Centre is vocational

training as an alternative way to empower teenage mothers. This is because despite government directive for

violent and sexual abuse. It serves Machakos county Kenya and its environs. The vision of kimbilio centre is to

transform the lives of vulnerable children, by proving a safe and nurturing environment, to enable them to realize

their potential. The centre aims to empower the children through education, skill development, emotional support

and help them build a sustainable and hopeful future and this enables them to ho then become independent, self-

reliant and sufficient individuals. Their mission is to provide a haven for vulnerable, orphans, and mistreated

children. The centre is dedicated to rescuing these children from dire circumstances, offering them a safe space

to live and thrive. It focuses on meeting their basic needs like shelter food and clothing and prioritizing education,

psychological support and skill building for brighter future.

Kimbilio Hope centre for teenage mothers is located at Athi river, Machakos county Kenya, opposite daystar

main campus. The centre started in 1979 after Barbra potter, noted that there was a need in Kenya to set up a

Girls below the age of 18 years come with a letter from the children’s officer while those above 18 years always

get a letter from the chief or an identification of the parent or guardian. The centre has liaised with Machakos

children’s office, Kiota rescue centre at Muranga, Maisha girls where they get their referrals from as well with

other well-wishers. The department of psychology and Institute of Child development (Daystar University) have

also been collaborating through student placement for their attachments, research and charity services. The centre

also receives other donations like foodstuffs, firewood and clothing from the university. The students have

supported a lot of girls through donations, counselling and regular visits for moral support. The university has

supported some of the girls through education and some are almost completing their first degrees in the

university. Daystar University has collaborated with the centre where the girls have benefited socially, physically

and psychologically. Daystar students take time to visit the centre and empower the girls by building their self-

morning devotion then embark on their daily chores. Teen mothers are trained in basic skills like tailoring,

Kimbilio Center is run by women, they only have two male workers who are the guards and assist in casual work

like cutting of firewood as well as cooking for the teen mothers.The rationale for having women staff only is

because of the safety of the girls and the girls need to feel safe while staying at the Centre. Very few visitors are

allowed in the area as a policy in the organization to ensure the safety of the girls and their children. As a result,

the environment is not very conducive for nurture care as the young children miss the presence of a male/ father

figure, and this can impact negatively to the child as noted by Wangy el at., (2023).

society to look for different ways of empowering them to support them financially and economically. Social-

economic empowerment is the process of enhancing both the social and economic well-being and capabilities of

individuals and communities, enabling them to gain greater control over their lives and participate fully in

society. It involves equipping people with resources, skills, and opportunities to improve their economic status,

achieve social justice, and actively engage in decision-making processes that affect their lives and communities.

This includes opportunities for income generation, employment, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and

access to assets. Economic empowerment is crucial for individuals and communities to move out of poverty

and make decisions about their investments in health and education. Empowering individuals with the

individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve their economic well-being and navigate social

9. Conlon, B. A., McGinn, A. P., Lounsbury, D. W., Diamantis, P. M., Groisman-Perelstein, A. E., Wylie-Rosett,