Young Parents: $4 in social value for every $1 invested

Every dollar invested in St John of God Hauora Trust’s Young Parents Development Service generates four dollars of measurable social value. That finding comes from a GoodMeasure social return on investment (SROI) analysis conducted by ImpactLab, covering our Canterbury-based programme over the period July 2018 to June 2019.

The analysis found that the programme generated an estimated $1,641,893 in lifetime social value during the measurement period, against a total programme investment of $403,326. That gives a social return on investment of $1:$4.10, or 410%.

Who the programme reached

During the year in scope, 585 people were touched by the Young Parents Development Service, including 260 babies and children. The core participant group comprised 192 young parents who accessed parenting courses, and a further 68 who received wraparound support through the HOPE (Housing Opportunities for Parenting Enhancement) project and one-to-one social work alongside their parenting programmes. Partners attending courses added another 65 to the reach.

Participants ranged in age from 15 to 23, with 82 per cent aged between 20 and 23. All children involved were aged five or under, placing them squarely within the first 1,000 days window of opportunity for child development. The majority of participants identified as New Zealand European or Pākehā (66%), with 14% Māori and a further 4% identifying as other ethnicities.

What the programme delivers

The Young Parents Development Service wraps around families through two streams. The first provides access to evidence-based parenting courses including Pregnancy and Parenting Education (run in partnership with Plunket), Infant Massage, Mellow Parenting, Watch Wait and Wonder, Healthy Relationships, and Managing Emotions. The second stream provides intensive wraparound support through trained social workers and the HOPE project, which helps young parents access stable, healthy housing.

The programme is grounded in core values of manaakitanga (hospitality), aroha (compassion), whakaute (respect), tika (justice), and hiranga (excellence). Hospitality is expressed practically through sharing kai, providing transport to and from sessions, and offering childcare during group programmes.

Outcomes measured

The SROI analysis measured outcomes across both programme streams, including reductions in child placement, family violence, and improvements in mental health and infant safety. For participants in the wraparound stream, additional outcomes measured included improvements in physical health, reductions in addiction and risky behaviour, and increases in academic achievement.

The programme achieved a 74 per cent overall completion rate, with 66 per cent completing parenting courses and 100 per cent of wraparound clients receiving full support without early exit. Social value in the analysis was counted only per completing participant, making the $1,641,893 figure a conservative estimate.

What the numbers mean

Social value per completing participant was $3,810 over a conservatively estimated five-year lifetime impact window. The analysis, conducted by ImpactLab using their GoodMeasure methodology, draws on a global evidence base of analogous programmes to estimate the probability and magnitude of each outcome.

ImpactLab’s GoodMeasure framework translates social outcomes into financial proxies by measuring the downstream costs that are avoided when families stabilise. Reduced hospitalisations, lower government involvement in housing and child welfare, fewer presentations to justice services and improved educational outcomes all contribute to the social value figure.

The findings underscore the case for early investment in young families. Supporting a young parent to stabilise their housing, improve their mental health, and develop confident parenting skills does not just benefit that parent and child. It ripples forward through generations.

Source: St John of God Hauora Trust Young Parents Development Service GoodMeasure Results, ImpactLab, August 2021.