Young parent support network expands in Kildare
At the 25 year celebration of the Teen Parent Support Programme and launch of the new Young Parent Support Programme (YPSP) was Denise Loughnane from Kildare YPSP
A support programme for teenage parents in Kildare is to evolve into a new service for young parents, in response to changing needs of at risk families.
At a recent event quarter of a century of the Teen Parent Support Programme (TPSP) was celebrated, and has supported approximately 10,000 women and men, across 10 counties.
Kildare has now been included in the TPSP which has supported hundreds of teen parents and children in the community.
The celebration event was accompanied by the launch of the new Young Parents Support Programme (YPSP) – a reframed approach which will expand to reach young parents who face challenges in 19 counties by 2027.
The YPSP has secured funding to continue to provide the service in Kildare and will support parents under 24 as opposed to under 20.
It will also remain engaged for longer continuing to support the parents for the first 1,000 days of the child’s life.
Both programmes are coordinated nationally through child and family information and support service Treoir.
The national manager of both programmes Samantha Dunne said that the number of teen pregnancies has dramatically fallen in the 25 years of the TPSP, but the needs are now far greater, with more complex cases and more parents in their early 20s needing continued supports.
“The announcement of the YPSP comes following the impact of 25 years of the TPSP, which during its lifetime it expanded from covering three to ten counties.
“In 1999 there were 3,135 births to parents under the age of 20-years-old, but in 2023 that number has significantly reduced to 705.
“However, complexity in cases has increased with young parents having a social care background, increased mental health issues, exposure to domestic gender-based abuses, high incidences of homelessness and substance misuse issues.
“So although births to young parents have decreased, challenges, adversity and many other systemic issues can impact young parents significantly. This has led to the need to expand the age-range criteria, and support parents for a longer period of time.
“The YPSP in Kildare has been a very successful programme and we looking forward to the positive impact it will continue to have from working with many more parents in the community.”
