This workshop explores what it takes for young pregnant and parenting people to truly thrive, drawing on Sureway’s delivery of the Parent Pathways program. At its core is a simple but powerful insight: young parents achieve better outcomes when support is holistic, relationship-based, and co-designed with them. Rather than directing outcomes, mentors work alongside young parents as trusted partners, supporting them to stabilise their immediate circumstances while building pathways toward their longer-term goals. This approach matters because young parents often face multiple, intersecting challenges (such as housing instability, financial hardship, limited transport, and social isolation) that can significantly impact their ability to engage in education, training, or employment. Without flexible, coordinated support that meets them where they are, many disengage from services altogether. A strengths-based, mentor-led model creates a safe and respectful environment where young parents feel understood, valued, and empowered to take the next step. Sureway’s Parent Pathways program has been shaped by frontline experience supporting vulnerable cohorts, including young parents as young as 15. Mentors, many with lived experience, build trust through consistent, non-judgemental engagement. Practice wisdom shows that addressing immediate needs is critical before progression toward education or employment can occur. This is reinforced through multi-agency collaboration, where mentors coordinate wraparound supports and bring together services tailored to everyone’s circumstances. Central to this approach is elevating young parents’ voice and agency, ensuring they are active decision-makers in their own journey rather than passive recipients of support. Delivered across regional and community-based settings, the program responds to place-based needs and strengthens local service connections. This model represents a shift from transactional service delivery to relational, coordinated support that prioritises inclusion, equity, and long-term wellbeing. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how the Parent Pathways program supports young parents to thrive, and how a holistic, mentor-led approach can be applied in practice. This includes practical insights into addressing immediate barriers while building long-term capability, coordinating supports across services, and empowering young parents to define and achieve their own goals. The session will conclude with a 15- minute Q&A to explore how these approaches can be adapted within different service contexts.
Presenters: Lydia Waddell & Cynthia Hosking
Lydia has been working as a mentor with Sureway since the beginning of 2025, with a background in community services and is an experienced world traveller. Lydia has a Bachelor of Social Science and a Certificate III in Community Services.
Cynthia commenced working at Sureway in March, and is a qualified early childhood educator with a background in education and community services. Cynthia is passionate about empowering parents and is experienced in facilitating groups, parent support and mentoring.