Mwakililo, Pendo Samson2026-03-112026-03-112025https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2025.2552335https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7375Journal articleDespite recent policy reforms, such as Education Circular No. 2 of 2021 and the Secondary Education Quality Improvement Programme (SEQUIP) initiative, aimed at facilitating school re-entry, adolescent mothers continue to face considerable emotional, financial, and institutional challenges. This study examines availability and per­ ceived effectiveness of support systems for adolescent mothers re- admitted to secondary schools in the Mbeya region of Tanzania. Guided by Lazarus’s Cognitive-Motivational-Relational Theory (CMRT), this paper employed embedded single case study design involving 20 purposively selected student mothers across five sec­ ondary schools, through focus group discussions and open-ended questionnaires. Findings revealed that while informal support exists, formal and coordinated systems remain fragmented and insuffi­ ciently responsive to student mothers’ lived realities. The paper emphasizes the need for integrated psychosocial, financial, and insti­ tutional interventions that are contextually grounded and emotion­ ally supportive. These findings contribute new insights into how adolescent student mothers perceive and interpret support, offering understanding of re-entry contexts.enAdolescentsSupportStudent mothersSecondary schoolsTanzaniaRe-entryArticle