The Program

Young Dads Program

Designed with young dads, for young dads, this program matches expecting or parenting young fathers with a professional mentor for 12 months to help them work towards their goals.

Young dads work 1:1 with a professional mentor to set goals that are important to them. The mentor and young dad meet regularly and together, they work on a plan to achieve these goals. 

We work together with the expecting or parenting young father on setting goals that are important to them including (but not limited to):

  • Being the best dad they can be
  • Meeting other young dads
  • Having a better relationship with their child’s mother
  • Managing money
  • Returning to education
  • Finding a job
decorative green image

We also provide support and help with referrals to additional services for:

  • navigating payments
  • financial or housing assistance
  • applying for childcare
  • healthy relationships
  • caring for your baby

Brave partners with and promotes existing pregnancy and parenting support services and educational opportunities.

Decorative left image
decorative green image
Who is eligible

Criteria for eligibility

Primary criteria for eligibility are:

  • Age (under 19) or aged under 25 years but became a father at 19 or under

We also consider referrals from:

  • Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) young fathers aged under 25 who started parenting at 21 or under
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young fathers aged under 25 who started parenting at 21 or under
  • Fathers with a disability aged under 25
  • Fathers who live in a remote or rural location and aged under 25 if there are limited services available.
decorative green image

What makes the Young Dads Program different from SEPT?

We know that most young dads just want to be good dads. Despite this, the services that are out there are often not created with dads in mind. Up until now, 90% of Supporting Expecting & Parenting Teens Program (SEPT) participants have been female. Brave created the Young Dads Program to fill this gap, co-designed with young dads who helped shape the program by telling us what want and need to be the best dads they can.

The Young Dads Program is based on Brave’s flagship SEPT Program, but has been tailored to meet the unique needs and experiences of young fathers by speaking with young dads themselves, as well as experts and community partners. As we continue to receive feedback from young dads, the program will continue to improve so that we can support dads as best we can.

Program Locations

Currently, face-to-face mentoring via the Young Dads Program is only available in Victoria.

Young dads may still participate in Brave’s Supporting Expecting and Parenting Teens program nationally or virtually. All referrals will automatically be put through a screening process to determine which delivery is best suited to you.

The Young Dads Program may expand delivery to other locations across Australia in the future.

Decorative right image

Make a Referral

You can make a referral online as a young person, support person or professional. Submit the form online or download it and send the completed form to





Centre of Excellence for Young Parents

Scholarships & Brokerage

Evidence Based

Founded, designed and led by those with shared lived experience of young parenthood, Brave has many years’ experience and expertise working with expecting and parenting young people and the community stakeholders who support them.

Brave has used evidence and lived experience to create the SEPT Program and will continue to draw on lived experience, organisational and external data, and research.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name
I’m interested in…