Where Single Mothers Are Not Alone
By YVONNE NAVA
Updated 11:24 AM EST, Wed, Dec 17, 2008
As every parent knows, a baby doesn't come with a set of instructions. Yamila Garcia, 21, is a single mother who is doing her best to raise her daughter the right way.
The Hartford mom juggles a lot. She works mornings, takes care of 10-month-old Yamia during the day and goes to school at night.
She said she's making progress with the help of Family Life Education, a Hartford non-profit organization that helps young mothers improve their parenting skills while encouraging them to continue going to school and eventually land a job.
"I just want to say that these parents have great potential. They just need a push and that's what we are here for," Julia Gonzalez Candela, the center's program supervisor, said.
On a recent day, Spanish-speaking parents took an ESL classes to learn English. While the parents sat in the classroom, their children were next door, where they were getting their own education, which involves brushing up on their reading and motor skills.
The center offers people a lot of support. For example, once a week, teen mothers get together to talk about all different types of topics, such as the home visiting program, which Yamila takes advantage of. Once a week, a caregiver comes to her house to monitor how they're doing and see how Yamia is developing.
"When she hit 1 year, then they're going to give me another list to check out if she's walking good, if she's moving her hand, if she's grabbing stuff from the floor, how she's talking," Garcia said. Family Life changed Garcia's life for the better. With their help, her daughter will look back on her childhood with amazement at what her mother accomplished, Garcia said.
"Imagine, without them, I don't know what to do. It's hard. I think it's good because we can interact with other people, with other girls," Garcia said. Last year, Family Life served nearly 550 parents and 600 children. All services there are free and voluntary. Learn more about the organization here.
First Published: Dec 10, 2008 8:46 AM EST
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