Young fathers continue to remain a particularly challenging group when it comes to supporting men in their role as a father. Even how we define these young men is open to debate, with no common definition. Some agencies talk about teenage dads, whilst others include young men up to the age of 25 years. The UK generally, and Wales in particular, has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Europe.
They are also extremely likely not to have Parental Responsibility. Around 20% of unmarried fathers currently fail to put their names on the child’s birth certificate, and young fathers make up the vast majority of this group.
Although specialist services exist to support teenage mothers, virtually none are available for the fathers of their babies.