Editing Sarah Teather (section)

===Minister in the coalition government===
Following the formation of the coalition government in May 2010 Teather became Minister of State for Children and Families.

In September 2010 ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' reported that she had been accused by several members of parliament of lobbying her boss, the Education Secretary [[Michael Gove]], for two schools in her constituency to be spared from the government's plans to cancel refurbishment projects on over 700 schools nationwide.The plans for refurbishment of the two schools, which had been previously cancelled, was reinstated.<ref>"Gove saved schools in deputy's back yard", ''The Sunday Times'' (London), 12 September 2010, p. 13.</ref>

On 13 July 2011, Teather told the Family and Parenting Institute that she was extremely worried about the £26,000 Benefit Cap that the Coalition Government was introducing as part of the [[Welfare Reform Act 2012]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/31915/ |title=Sarah Teather admits she is "extremely worried" by the £26,000 benefits cap &#124; Research &#124; PoliticsHome |access-date=6 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130706101400/http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/31915/ |archive-date=6 July 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/news/1050978/teather-reveals-concerns-benefits-cap |title=Teather reveals concerns over benefits cap |work=nql.redesign.cypnow.co.uk |publisher=Children & Young People Now |access-date=6 July 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018070000/http://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/news/1050978/teather-reveals-concerns-benefits-cap |archive-date=18 October 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Teather then failed to turn up to a number of key votes on the Welfare Reform Act despite there being a three-line whip,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120201/debtext/120201-0001.htm#12020160000002 |title=House of Commons Hansard Debates |publisher=UK Parliament |date=1 February 2012 |access-date=6 July 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010225212/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120201/debtext/120201-0001.htm#12020160000002 |archive-date=10 October 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/08/david-cameron-defends-sarah-teather-welfare-bill-missing_n_1262196.html |title=David Cameron Defends Sarah Teather After Being Asked Why She Was Still A Minister |work=HuffPost |date=8 February 2012 |access-date=6 July 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420210510/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/08/david-cameron-defends-sarah-teather-welfare-bill-missing_n_1262196.html |archive-date=20 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> which resulted in a number of Conservative backbench MPs publicly calling for her to be sacked.

In April 2011, Teather was questioned on [[BBC Television]]'s ''[[Question Time (TV series)|Question Time]]'' over replacing the [[Education Maintenance Allowance]]. Arguing against the claim that fewer poor pupils would be served by its replacement, Teather claimed that it would actually be targeted better at those who actually needed government support.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/9443103.stm |work=BBC News|title=Minister and audience clash over EMA | date=1 April 2011}}</ref>

On 6 February 2012 Teather was part of a ministerial working group together with [[Tim Loughton]] and justice minister [[Jonathan Djanogly]] that was asked to come up with proposals within two months on how the law should be changed regarding how to amend the Children Act of 1989. According to ''The Guardian'' of 3 February 2012, that working group is aimed to include in the new Children Act one "[[shared parenting|presumption of shared parenting]]" for children's fathers and mothers after cases of divorce or spousal break-up.

On 4 September 2012, she was sacked from her post, as part of a broad government reshuffle, and returned to the backbenches.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/nov/17/benefit-cap-immoral-sarah-teather |title=Benefit cap is immoral and divisive, says top Liberal Democrat |newspaper=The Observer |author=Helm, Toby |date=17 November 2012 |location=London |access-date=20 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416012232/http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/nov/17/benefit-cap-immoral-sarah-teather |archive-date=16 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>