Teenage parents can often feel unfairly judged and marginalised, but a group of young Blue Mountains mums and dads is gaining much-needed support at a weekly playgroup in Lawson and their kids are loving it too.
The Parenting Young Project playgroup, run by Mountains Outreach Community Service (MOCS), meets every Friday between 10am and 2pm during school terms at the family day care playroom below Lawson library.
Acting co-ordinator Sally Weymouth said the project's positive motto young parents grow great kids aims to counter uninformed views in the community about young parents.
"Yes, it still happens, they [project participants] often tell us about the negative responses they get from community members who see them as 'too young' or 'irresponsible.'
"Just last week I overhead somebody approach a young mother and ask to speak to her mum about values even I was amazed at that."
Besides offering a playground, stacks of toys, children's books, fun supervised activities and a healthy morning tea, Parenting Young partners with other services including Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Connect Child and Family Services and Mountains Youth Services Team to provide regular guest speakers and access to information relevant to the needs of young parents.
A child and family health nurse and a social worker often visit.
Ms Weymouth said the project is proving effective for its target market "because it's both a playgroup for the kids and an important information service and social network for their parents [aged from their teens to early 20s].
"So it feels like a place where the parents can come to reconnect.
"A strong sense of community comes from that it's a natural by-product."
Katoomba single mum Darcey Spellman, who was 18 when her son EJ [now two] was born, said when she used to attend playgroups "the older mums didn't even speak to me.
"Here, we have a laugh and a good time and nobody disrespects you.
"We learn things too and it gives you confidence so when you leave, you know you are doing a good job."
Arlie O'Grady, 23, who attends the playgroup with her three-year-old son Koby, said while suddenly becoming a young parent poses real and often difficult challenges that are different for everyone, there are upsides too.
"You have a lot more energy to do things with them [your child/children] and they get to really know their grandparents while they are still young something I didn't get to do.
"People do assume all sorts of things about you just because of your age, but they shouldn't.
"Koby was born when I was 20 and his dad and I have been together now for four years and are expecting our next child in January."
Young parents can find out more about the project by calling MOCS on 4758 6811 or going to www.mocs.org.au and clicking on Parenting Young.