A TEENAGE mother who dumped her baby in a garden bed in a Territory town is pregnant with her third child.

March 25th, 2010

It was revealed yesterday that the mother's two children had been placed in care after a passer-by found the four-month-old baby in a public mall in the main street of Tennant Creek.

The mother could not be found until the next day.

Sources told the Northern Territory News the 16-year-old mother was symbolic of the welfare problems in Tennant Creek.

They say teenage girls are getting pregnant so they can access the Federal Government's baby bonus.

"They push out the baby money, but it's been an absolute curse that money," one carer said. "They get pregnant just so they can get the money."

The baby bonus was introduced by the Howard Government as a lump sum payment in a bid to grow the nation's population.

The Rudd Government has since changed the bonus to a payment of $5000 paid in 13 weekly instalments.

But the carer said parents in the town often neglected their children once the cheques started arriving.

"I have seen adults go down to Red Rooster and lock their kids in the car so the kids can't get any food," they said.

"They will feed themselves before they feed the children.

"The children are always hungry.

"The kids just have nothing. It's really dysfunctional and horrible."

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/03/25/134421_ntnews.html

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