Research conducted by members of RIPOST (Recherches sur les impacts psychologiques, organisationnels et sociaux du travail) of the Centre de santé et de services sociaux de la Vieille-Capitale focused on the paths of 48 young women who became mothers before the age of 20. At the time the study was done, each had a single child under the age of 3.

How did some women succeed in putting together and implementing an education and career plan while facing problems related to pregnancy and motherhood? What support did they receive from their families, spouses, schools, social services, and health and community services? How and to what extent did their behaviour and the choices they made with regard to their academic, work, family and conjugal lives contribute to the success of their plans?

These questions were the focus of this study, conducted between January 2005 and July 2008 under the direction of Andrée Larue, an educational sociologist.