Teenage parents will continue to fall through the cracks unless Australian schools do more to support them, a new report says.
National Children's Commissioner Megan Mitchell fears too much responsibility falls on the shoulders of individual principals to make sure pregnant and parenting teens are able to stay in school.
She is calling for a systematic, government-led approach to ensure access to education.
Education is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty and reliance on welfare, and increases the chances of young parents' financial security, Ms Mitchell says.
It follows an eight-month investigation into issues affecting young parents and their children, culminating in the release of the 2017 Children's Rights Report in Sydney on Friday.
Nearly two-thirds of young parents surveyed stopped regularly attending school before becoming pregnant - and of those that kept going, only 30 per cent said their school supported their attendance.
"I am deeply concerned that responsibility for ensuring these young people can continue studying falls on the goodwill of individual principals in this country," Ms Mitchell said.
"If schools don't have specific programs to cater for these students, and if state and federal policies fail to recognise this need, young parents will continue to fall through the cracks."
The report made 17 recommendations, including for a review of federal and state and territory laws, policies and practices to make sure access to education for all children is guaranteed.
It has also suggested the possibility of alternative sentencing options for young parents, and improved data collection and research.
The report noted the rate of teenagers having children was at an all-time low, with 15- to 19-year-olds accounting for 2.8 per cent of all births in Australia in 2015.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teens represented more than a quarter of pregnancies, while those living in regional and remote areas were also at high risk.
The project revealed that stigma and prejudice remained a "substantial impediment" to young parents accessing services.
Julianne King, a 26-year-old mother of four, says age doesn't determine whether someone is going to be a good parent. However, she feels she's been judged since giving birth to her first child at 18.
"Young parents need to be given more of a chance to show that we are quite capable of being able to parent," she said at the report's launch.
"Some just may need more support than others."
