When young people in and leaving state care become parents: What happens and why?

This paper is concerned with outcomes for young parents in and leaving care and draws on findings from a post-doctoral fellowship study conducted within the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE) at Cardiff University. Over the course of the research, 258 parents in and leaving care were identified aged between 16 and 21 were identified by 20 out of the 22 local authorities in Wales. These parents had a total of 238 children and there were 44 on-going pregnancies. 74% of children were living with at least one biological parent, however 26% of children identified in the study were separated from their parents at the time of data collection; 10% of children were in the care of local authority carers, 9% with adoptive carers and a further 7% living with friends and family. Interviews with social care professionals suggested that success in parenthood is possible for young people in and leaving care if they are prepared to do ‘whatever is required’. Typically, this meant engaging with professionals, evidencing personal responsibility and demonstrating a commitment to positive parenting. Yet despite such emphasis on individual choice and determination, a wide range of support needs were identified by professionals and it was acknowledged that young people had limited control over key factors influencing parenting success