Mayor Peña's wife to open center for teenage mothers

www.vheadline.com Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Metropolitan Mayor’s wife, Martha de Peña has announced that she will shortly be opening her center for teenage mothers.

• The center will cater for 30 teenage mothers taking in and caring for their children, while they work, study or learn a profession.

Project coordinator Anabella Acosta says she has managed to group together an excellent team that will help the teenage mothers gain the right to a normal and social life.

Mrs. Peña insists that the girls will learn about birth control, health and childcare and responsible parenthood.  “Last year of the 23,247 births at the Concepcion Palacios Maternity Hospital, 156 of the mothers were between the ages of 10-14 and 5,551 between 15-17.”

Sociologist Ivonne Marrero has high expectations because she says it’s a pioneer project, which gives the girls emotional and psychological support to face the new challenge of bringing a baby into the world.  The Caracas Lottery has donated the center’s building in San Bernardino.