How a pregnancy project is raising aspirations

Project Teens and Toddlers

Purpose To reduce teenage pregnancy, raise young people’s aspirations and improve the wellbeing of young children

Funding The scheme costs around £750 for each young person, funded by various sources including the Department for Education, Department of Health, grant-giving bodies such as the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and John Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust, and local authorities

Background Teens and Toddlers launched in 2001 as a teenage pregnancy prevention and sexual health programme. Evaluation of the scheme, which sees teenagers paired with younger children with additional needs, found it was not simply helping to prevent young people getting pregnant at an early age but was also boosting their self-esteem, confidence and engagement in education. It is now seen as an early intervention programme that helps both young people and the children they mentor and prevents many from dropping out of education, training or employment.