PEORIA MAGAZINE August 2022

S P O T L I G H T

‘THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE TEEN PREGNANCIES’ And Westminster Infant Care Center is there to help Mo m fi nish school

BY LINDA SMITH BROWN PHOTO BY RON JOHNSON

I t ’s just a single room in the basement of Peoria’s Westminster Presbyterian Church, furnished by comfy chairs, baby beds and colorful animal drawings. In this room, young women have been helped to reach their full potential, though they spend little time here. During the school year, children 6 weeks to 3 years of age spend their days at the Westminster Infant Care Center, while theirmothers are at school earning their high school diplomas or GEDs. The Infant Care Center had its beginnings 50 years ago, when Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1420 W. Moss Ave., started taking on more mission projects. Marge Sutherland, a member of the mission committee, is credited with championing the Center. “There was nothing like this for young parents to get childcare while getting a high school education,” said Jeanie Olson, the board’s current treasurer. “It was a need and it still is.” Each school day, the center’s van picks up the young mothers and babies from their homes and drives to the daycare, where themothers say goodbye to their babies and are then driven to school. While the moms are studying, their

full potential might be. But it all begins with that diploma.” Sager arrived at Westminster 23 years ago, answering a help wanted ad in the newspaper. Having moved frequently due to her husband’s military service, she had last worked at Fort Meade inMaryland as director at a child development center. “This was a perfect fit for me. I have this passion to be nurturing and loving to teen parents, asmy parentswere teen parents,” Sager said. Her mom was 16, her dad 18 when daughter Valerie was born. “It’s been eye-opening for me. I have such great appreciation for what my mom and dad went through.” According to information provided by Peoria Public Schools, teen pregnancy rates have been going down across the country, including Peoria. However, Peoria County’s teen birth rate is higher than the state’s, nearly four times the national rate. For every 1,000 teen girls in Peoria, 84 become teen moms. Only 50% of teen moms earn a high school diploma. Meanwhile, their children often have delayed development because of the challenges that teen parents face. “There are always going to be teen pregnancies, nomatterwhat,” said Sager.

children learn, too. “They are read to, there is painting, block play, dramatic play, dress-up, puzzles, pretend play, trips to the playground and lots of singing and dancing,” said Valerie Sager, the Center’s director. Also, “there’s naptime … and cuddle time.” During the school day, mothers receive photos or video of their child from the care staff, so the moms feel connected. Child and mom also get nutritious meals. For all those services, most mothers pay just $1 per month. Charges are assessed according to income level. Some of the moms have no family support. Some are essentially homeless. “Removing barriers that might hinder them in their educational goals, that’s what we do,” Sager said. “We don’t want teen parents to drop out of school. We want to see them get a high school diploma and go on to whatever their

30 AUGUST 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE