What is it?

The Outreach Young Parent Support Service is for mums and dads under 25 years, including expectant young parents, and their children. The service was established in 2000.

We offer 1 to 1 and group support.

We work in partnership with Lambeth Primary Care Trust and other services. We also receive referrals from many different voluntary organisations as well as self-referrals by young parents who hear about us from friends.

Who is it for?

Young Parents Outreach is for mums and dads who may need support to make the move to being a parent. They may need extra support with housing, health, benefits, training, childcare and parenting.

Where and when does the young parent service happen?

We offer highly bespoke 1 to 1 support as needed by the individual mum or dad, and weekly groups throughout the year at different Lambeth Children’s Centres.

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Why does this service exist?

This service was set out to help improve parenting skills, children’s health and young families’ futures.

Teenage mums and dads often feel sidelined from services and decisions about their future.

We want young parents to become the best parents they can.
We want their child to have the best start in life.
We understand that parents have particular difficulties may feel excluded or are judged by others and therefore can miss out on services

“Like all parents, teenage mothers and young fathers, they want to do the best for their children and some manage very well; but for many their health, education and economic outcomes remain disproportionately poor which affects the life chances for them and the next generation of children”

Public Health England Framework for Supporting Teenage Mothers & Young Fathers

We meet complex needs

Often the parents we support have had difficult childhoods. Some parents may have spent some time in care with little experience of good parenting themselves. This could mean that they don’t have positive role models on which to base their own parenting. During pregnancy, some mothers and fathers can be unsure of what decisions to make or where to go for support: which we can provide.

How can Outreach help?

We are proud of the way we work with the person. Everyone is different and learns differently. Young parents are supported by and learn from each other, mentors and facilitators. We create a safe space and non-judgemental support.Staff work with young parents individually and in different types of groups.

These may be drop-ins, follow a programme or be a mix of socialising, informal learning, user-led learning and short term projects. We work in cafes,
children’s centres, community spaces, wherever young people are.

We can provide support for the following issues: