Support program for young mothers to expand with new funding

A GEELONG program offering support for young mothers will soon expand its reach, after receiving an $88,000 grant to establish a permanent community space able to operate five days a week.

Launched in 2019, The Empowerment Challenge provides a safe, non-judgemental environment for mothers aged 26 or under. None of its participants age out of the service, and its flexible arrangements allow mothers to attend the program for as long as they wish.

Since its inception, the program has supported about 165 women through its weekly sessions at the Rosewall Community Centre in Corio. Many have more than one child.

Program co-ordinator Laura Kingston said the service helps young mothers find the supportive community they often struggle to access elsewhere.

“A lot of young mothers say they feel very judged at regular groups.

“We really strive to be that environment where they can come and be honest, be open, ask for help, not be embarrassed.

“These women, they’re amazing parents, they’re amazing mums…

their challenge is society and the judgement and the fact they’re regularly told they can’t provide the life that their children deserve, which is completely untrue.”

Many participants come from generational cycles of family violence, poverty or mental health challenges, and a central part of the program’s work is linking women to specialist services.

Peer support also plays a powerful role, with women building friendships, catching up outside of program sessions, and often accompanying one another to other appointments.

The service’s expansion, funded through the Geelong Community Foundation’s P500 program, will allow it to operate from its own dedicated space, accessible throughout the week.

It will also remove barriers for families currently unable to attend the service’s set session times due to other commitments, such as work or the sleep routines of their children.

Kingston said being able to offer women a space they can come at a time that suits them will make a meaningful difference.

“We see on a daily basis the difference that this charity makes to younger mums,” she said.

“The belief that we help them have in themselves; the breaking of those generational cycles of disadvantage … just walking through this door can be the catalyst for that.

“We’re not just changing the lives of those mums – it’s the generations that are following.”

To learn more about The Empowerment Challenge, visit empowermentchallenge.org.au, or email [email protected]