Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People Strategy

Introduction

The Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People (PPYP) Strategy aims to drive actions that will decrease the cycle of deprivation associated with pregnancy in young people under 18. The Strategy will also provide extra support for young parents, particularly those who are looked after up to age of 26 in line with the Children and Young Peoples (Scotland) Act 2014^[39]. Some young people require little or no additional support, whereas others need intense, targeted support. For all, it is essential we continue to put the young person at the centre of action to help them achieve their potential both as individuals and as parents.

This is the first Scottish Strategy focused on pregnancy and parenthood amongst young people. It aims to increase opportunities available to young people to support their wellbeing and prosperity across the life course. Evidence shows that having a pregnancy at a young age can contribute to a cycle of poor health and poverty as a result of associated socio-economic circumstances before and after pregnancy (as opposed to the biological effects of young maternal age). The Strategy therefore addresses the fundamental causes of pregnancy in young people and its consequences, with actions focused on the wider environmental and social influences and individual experiences which effect inequalities of this particular group.

This document is both a Strategy and a practical plan for action. It works its way systematically through what we must do to improve outcomes for young people underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)^[51]; the Scottish Government national approach: Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC)^[49]; and through the following five guiding principles: