Supporting teen families: an assessment of youth childbearing in Australia and early interventions to improve education outcomes of young parents

In this report, we reviewed recent research on teenage pregnancy and parenthood in Australia, and found that adolescent parenthood is more prevalent in non-urban Australia and among Indigenous Australians, and is related to severe and multiple disadvantage that pre-existed childbearing. Among others, research shows that the relationship between teenage parenthood and education is one of disconnect and difficulty, with adolescent parents less likely to continue their education. Against this backdrop, we conducted a rapid review of social interventions seeking to improve teenage parent’s educational outcomes. Some promising results of existing intervention programs are discussed in the report. There are various considerations to be taken when intervening with a group characterised by complex needs, and these are outlined within the recommendations of this report