Teenage Parent Support and Teenage Parent Apprentice Programme Evaluation – Final Report

Whilst teenage contraception rates have reduced in England over the last 25 years, this reduction has been less pronounced in County Durham, which has higher teenage conception rates that both the North East, and England averages. The psycho-social impacts on teenage parents are significant, with high levels of parental stress, higher risk of developing mental health problems, and poorer physical health outcomes when compared to non-teenage parents. Furthermore, teenage parenthood is also often associated with social exclusion and deprivation, with many teenage parents coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. A number of government backed policies have been developed to promote social inclusion amongst teenage parents aimed at increasing participation in education and employment.