Book review: Supporting Young Parents – Pregnancy and Parenthood among young people from care

Supporting Young Parents: Pregnancy and parenthood among young people from care

★★★★★

Elaine Chase et al, Jessica Kingsley Publishers

ISBN 9781843105251

The key strength of this book is that it offers the perspectives of both young fathers and mothers in the care system, which is no mean feat. It manages to cover interviews with 47 young women and 16 young fathers, and the richness and depth of the data is also added to by interviews with 78 professionals.

The book has 10 clear chapters that illustrate parenthood, being in the care system, decision-making processes on parenthood, being pregnant, being a parent, child protection issues, access to and experiences of services and moving forward. The key threads of the book are the voices of the young people, which come through loud and clear, and the use of well-chosen case studies. I would positively recommend the book, both to social work students and practitioners as well as to the academics who may teach them.

Jane Reeves is research lead in the department of family care and mental health at Greenwich University