Catherine Urae’s date for the Salmon Arm Secondary graduation will be wearing a white tuxedo with a pink tie to match her dress, plus a pink tinted “faux-hawk” hairstyle.
But he’ll be the youngest date attending the ceremony. Urae’s celebrating earning her high school diploma with her son Damien, now two-and-a-half.
And she says she couldn’t have done it without the help of the Shuswap Young Parents Program, which offers a host of services for young mothers and fathers who are trying to stay in school.
The main service of the program is to provide quality child care for the children of young parents to allow them a chance to finish school, upgrade their education or attend college or distance education programs.
“Without this, I wouldn’t have been able to graduate. That’s it. I don’t know where Damien and I would be without it,” says the soft-spoken 18-year-old.
“Knowing he’s in a place that he likes to go to, with friends that he’s made, and that he’s only a two-minute walk away, has taken a huge stress off my shoulders.”
But more than just a day care that operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the school year, the centre also offers a hot lunch program, subsidies depending on the number of hours a student attends school and assistance with transportation to and from the day care.
Team leaders Crystal Arnouse and Michelle Beaudry co-ordinate monthly parenting workshops with topics geared to young parents’ needs. Parents learn about nutrition, first aid, dental care, and childhood development.
But Urae and the workers agree one of the most important elements of the program is the opportunity for young parents to connect with one another.
“It’s a place where they can come and all relate to each other. You can see the support systems that grow between these parents and their children,” says Arnouse.
The team leaders have a special interest and experience working with the teen mothers and fathers and seeing one of “their moms” succeed in getting her diploma is really satisfying.
“We know there are special challenges that these parents face, so we want to do all we can to support them in getting an education. We also have a close relationship with the schools, so we can try to help with other supports as needed,” says Arnouse.
Urae says attending high school as a teen mom can be tough.
“I’ve had to face a lot of stereotypes, but I’ve learned not to let it bother me. I can’t afford to let it bring me down because I’ve got Damien to think about. The other moms from here, we’ve become a tight group because we all face that. We stick together pretty good.”
Knowing she’s not alone has helped Urae get through the tough times when there’s been sleepless nights and she has to get up, care for her son, keep focused during her classes and then do homework at night.
Urae missed a year of school after having Damien, but decided that, with the help of this program, she could go back for her high school diploma.
“I needed to be successful for him. I knew I needed this milestone to make sure I can provide for him in the future.”
She agreed to share her story because she wants other teen parents to learn of the program and how much it can help with getting an education.
Urae now plans to upgrade her courses at Okanagan College before going on to become a medical lab technician.
The Shuswap Young Parents Program has eight spaces available and there are slots open for September.
Eligible parents must be 25-years-old or younger and must be registered in a secondary or post-secondary educational program.
To find out more, contact Arnouse or Lockwood by calling 250-833-5615 or 250-832-6192.
“I hope other moms will take advantage of the great thing offered here and get their education too,” says Urae. “I guess the message is it can be done.”