The Brave SEPT Program

The Brave SEPT (Supporting Expecting and Parenting Teens) Program is an interactive Pathway Plan created for expecting and parenting teens to ensure they are connected to parenting support, life support and educational opportunities in their local communities.

Brave Foundation provides each expecting and parenting teen with a tailored Pathway Plan that is supported by Brave SEPT Mentor and Brave SEPT Head of Program.

The Brave Pathway Plan enables expecting and parenting teens to identify their aspirations, goals and ambitions in further study and/or engage in training and employment within their own communities.

Expecting and parenting teens are encouraged through the pathway plan to maximise their learning as a parent as it applies to other areas of their lives and careers.

The pathway plan shows the value of parenting in a recognised learning framework, which may contribute towards further education and employment opportunities over time.

Brave’s Pathway Plan enables expecting and parenting teens to identify their aspirations, goals and ambitions over a 12 month period, in further study and/or engagement in training and employment within their own communities.

The Brave Pathway Plan has been developed through the research delivered from the Brave Expecting and Parenting Teen Support and Education Working Group and Co-Development Phase with DSS for the TTL trial.

The Brave Pathway Plan is based on the first 1,000 days theory and evidence spanning conception to two years of life. An Australian evidence summary of the first 1,000 days can be found here, produced by the First 1,000 Days Partnership, www.aracy.org.au/the-nest-in-action/first-1000-days.  The plan also reflects anecdotal feedback from the expecting and parenting teens Support and Education Working Group (2015–16) findings and research demonstrating that expecting and parenting teens have aspirations of high hopes and dreams of their families and careers.

Data demonstrates that there were 3,760 young parents aged 18 years and younger who were receiving parenting payment during 2015-16 and this group has an expected lifetime cost to the welfare system of $648,000 per person. If nothing changes. We can expect that 79 percent of these young people will still be receiving income support payments in 10 years, with 57 percent still receiving income support in 20 years.

Expecting and parenting teens also experience a high level of disapproval in their communities and alienation from their peers and family, with a resultant detrimental effect on their self-esteem. Moreover, community distractions such as the choice debate and the glamorization of teenage pregnancy diminish efforts to provide support to expecting and parenting teens. Evidence suggests that 23.6% of expecting and parenting teens did not complete year 10 (this excludes those who have already left before pregnancy) and only 2.3% of that group had completed tertiary education by the age of 30. The issue of teen parenthood is not just restricted to young women, as teen fathers and children of teen parents are also ‘at risk’ for the social and educational impacts of teen pregnancy.