Teenagers with children learn to be a family at Heery

"If I had a choice between living at home and living here, I would live here, because I'm getting more help here than I would at home," declared Jennifer, a 16-year-old resident of Heery Center for Young Families.

The teen (whose last name has been withheld for confidentiality) cradled her month-old daughter, Brittney, in her arms as she spoke of her choice to live at the Albany Catholic Charities program, which moved several months ago to a new, larger residence for ten adolescent mothers and their children.

The Heery Program, part of Community Maternity Services (CMS), was created five years ago in response to the growing numbers of teenage mothers who did not have suitable places to live.

Referrals

* A young mother may have abused or neglected her child or the child was placed in a foster home, and the DSS hopes to unify the pair;

* the teen herself may be from a home where there is abuse or neglect; or

* the young mother has had a PINS petition issued on her, stating that she needs 24-hour supervision for out-of-control behavior.

In addition, there are not enough foster homes to accommodate all of the adolescent mothers and their babies who live within the boundaries of the Albany Diocese.

At Heery, the mothers are not only required to attend school (most have dropped out of school when they arrive at the center), but take parenting classes, learn independent living skills and participate in counseling.

Lifesaver

Instead of living at home, where she would have had no help in caring for Brittney, Jennifer leaves her daughter in Heery's day care each day to attend ninth grade at a local high school. She helps with cooking and cleaning the house; and in the evening, she attends sessions on everything from writing a check to disciplining her child.

Since each mother lives for a year at Heery before either returning to her family or moving on to independent living, Jennifer already has ambitious plans for the future: to move back home, "finish high school, get my diploma, join the Army, go to college and try to get into NASA."

Growing program

In September, Heery moved to a new Albany location, doubling its living space. The home was filled to capacity in one night.

"They seemed to adjust well," parent-educator Patricia Forbes said of the residents. With a new "childcare room" providing a day care-like atmosphere, she said, the mothers can interact with their children just as they will when they live independently someday.

Indeed, said Mr. Simeone, one of the pluses to Heery's new location is its atmosphere: that of an urban community, not unlike those which many of its residents came from. Living in a city makes it easier to talk about the peer pressure the teens experience in an urban setting, he said.

The new Heery Center also has more common space, which puts less pressure on young fathers who come to visit their children. "Before, they had an audience," Mrs. Forbes explained. "It was intimidating." Also, parents of the young mothers, who may live several hours away, can even stay overnight in a spare room when they visit.

Learning together

Since teens are more likely to listen to peers than adults, program heads often have residents demonstrate how to bathe an infant, or lead a group in brainstorming ideas on child discipline.

The latter can be a ticklish subject, Mrs. Forbes said: "We have discussions, and they'll say, `Oh, I can spank my kid.' I try to get them to think of the negatives: What are the consequences of spanking your child?"

Skills and tests

The parent-educator has also begun developmental screenings for the infants and toddlers at the center, and is working on assessments that will test the mothers' knowledge of parenting skills at three different points: when they enter Heery Center, after six months, and just before they leave.

Another new employee, Doug Chambers, teaches independent living skills that include home and money management, nutrition and job-seeking. Heery has also added tutoring for its residents, resulting in a boost in the teens' grades in school.

Cuts threatening

"With welfare reform, the goal is to reduce the number of days children and teenagers are in foster care," Mr. Simeone said. But while that may be a priority for county agencies, "it doesn't change our philosophy: get that adolescent mainstreamed into school and increase her parenting skills."

In Jennifer's time at Heery, she told The Evangelist that she has been most surprised at how her peers' attitudes about motherhood have changed, and how quickly all of their children are growing.

"I know my life will change because I have been here," she stated. "I'll probably learn a lot more, and it'll be an advantage when I get older."

(For more information on the Heery Center for Young Families, call 482-8836.) (01-23-97) [[In-content Ad]]