SSRU research on teenage parenthood

1
SSRU research on teenage parenthood

• Sure Start Plus National Evaluation
• Wiggins, Rosato, Austerberry, Sawtell Oliver
• Evaluation of 20 pilot areas offering holistic
  support to pregnant/parenting teens
• Varied models all involved holistic personal
  adviser
• Multi-method evaluation process evaluation and
  matched control trial design (1200 teenage
  parents)

• Teenage Parenthood and Social Exclusion a
  multi-method study
• Wiggins, Oakley, Sawtell, Austerberry, Clemens
  Elbourne
• Long term outcomes of teenage parenthood. Using
  existing data sets collection of new data from
  original cohorts to look at short and long term
  outcomes for teenage vs. older mothers (2000
  mothers)
• In-depth interviews of women who had been teenage
  mothers teenage fathers and children of teenage
  mothers

2
Key findings

• TP Social Exclusion found that the key factors
  in place for those that had positive longer term
  experiences were
• Support from family
• Having a positive partner relationship at some
  stage
• Developing a career/having employment they liked
• Those with greater passage of time since the
  birth
• Sure Start Plus programme had success in
  providing crisis support to teenage mothers
• support for emotional issues
• improved family relationships
• decreased incidence of domestic violence
• improved accommodation situations
• increased educational participation for under
  16s
• Sure Start Plus had less success in reaching
  specific health objectives and on participation
  in education for those 16.

3
What next in support for young mothers?

• Rigorous evidence needed still from the UK of the
  long-term effectiveness of support for young
  mothers.
• Large scale, cluster randomised controlled trial
  of holistic support for young mothers (including
  childcare provision) from pregnancy to child is
  2 years.
• Randomise by Childrens Trust areas plan for
  long term follow up.