Group Gives Support to Young Moms

Growing up in an African-American family of 12 kids during the 1960s and ‘70s in rural Arkansas, Regina Law faced more challenges by the time she was 15 than some people face in a lifetime.

During the holidays, her brothers and sisters got baskets of clothes and shoes from the Salvation Army instead of toys. There were times, growing up in the projects, when there just wasn’t any food in the house. Other times, she had to miss school to stay home and baby-sit while her mother was working one of her two jobs.

Then Regina got pregnant.

The daughter of a young single mother herself, Law endured teen-age motherhood without much support.

Three years ago, when she heard that a Van Nuys group called Friends of the Family was looking for women like herself to help facilitate support groups in a program called Young Moms, memories of her own experience pushed her to volunteer.

“I remember the frustration of how people look at you, like you have leprosy or something,” said Law, now 34 and living in Sylmar. “I happen to have a personality that’s like, ‘tell me I can’t do something and I’ll prove you wrong;’ but some people need more.

“Some girls are beat down, told they can’t do this and they can’t do that. This program gives them that little push that sometimes they need.”

It also gives them assertiveness training, instruction on child development, health-care referrals and a chance to meet and interact with other women who can relate to their situation as well as career and educational counseling, job interview instruction and even cooking and nutrition advice.

Each support group consists of about 20 young women and has two to three parent group facilitators. Meetings take place weekly at places such as the Salvation Army, community centers, churches and even health clinics, all of which offer the space free of charge. Transportation is provided for those who need it.

Established in 1989, Young Moms is administered by Friends of the Family, a 20-year-old nonprofit counseling and education center committed to strengthening families and funded by charitable donations and sliding scale service fees.

Melva Frazier, 20, of North Hills joined Young Moms shortly after the birth of her son Donnie, who is now 18 months old.

After getting pregnant, she moved from San Jose to be with Donnie’s father, a graduate of Cal State Northridge.

Thrust into a new family, a new town and in need of new friends, Frazier got a boost from Young Moms.

The weekly meetings--with games of trivial pursuit based on baby facts, workshops on choosing and using baby seats and just a chance to put little Donnie down while someone else looked after him--became something to look forward to, Frazier said.

“Being stuck at home with one kid would have driven me crazy,” she said.

Donnie’s exposure to other kids “made him a friendlier child,” she said, and meeting new friends eased her dependence on Donnie’s father.

Now enrolled at Cal State Northridge herself, Frazier hopes to go into teaching someday.

Women who were single adolescent mothers can get involved with the Young Moms program by calling (818) 988-4430. Volunteers will lead support groups of 10 to 20 new young moms, helping the mothers learn about parenting skills, child development, health, family management, child guidance and community resources. Training is provided and out-of-pocket expenses are reimbursed.

Tree People (818-753-4600), a group dedicated to planting, propagating and caring for trees throughout the San Fernando Valley, needs volunteers to help with a host of projects in the area. The group will be holding a volunteer orientation meeting at 7:30 tonight at its headquarters in Coldwater Canyon Park, 12601 Mulholland Drive, Studio City.

Getting Involved is a weekly listing of volunteering opportunities. Please address prospective listings to Getting Involved, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, 91311. Or fax them to (818-772-3338 ).