Diva Den aims to help young mothers
(Left to Right) Brenda Ayres, project director for the Pregnancy Assistance Fund Grant, Ashley Holman, program specialist for Parents Are First, Dick Puffer of the Byerly Foundation, and Darnell Byrd McPherson, executive director of Darlington County First Steps.
Photos by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Darlington County First Steps hosted a ribbon cutting and open house celebration for their newest community outreach project, the Diva Den, located at 437 W. Carolina Ave in Hartsville.
The Diva Den aims to become a safe haven for pregnant and parenting mothers by providing support, counseling, and resources in a welcoming environment.
With financial support from The Byerly Foundation, DCFS outfitted two former classrooms on the first floor of Building 1 of the old Hartsville Junior High School. Both spaces were donated for this purpose by Darlington County Adult Education.
The Diva Den is an elegant, cozy space where clients can engage in a variety of enriching activities, like the family literacy Mother Read program, and Tracy Talks, a structured peer support / group discussion led each Tuesday by therapist Tracy Redfearn of the Child and Family Resource Center.
Ashley Holman, program specialist for DCFS’ Parents Are First program, says the Diva Den fits well into PAF’s mission to improve parenting, educational attainment, pregnancy prevention, and community collaboration.
Across the hall is the Child Care Center, where parents can entrust their young ones (age 5 and under) to caregivers while they take part in Diva Den activities, or utilize the Adult Education and S.C. Works Employment Center facilities located on the second floor.
“This facility has grown a lot over the past two years, and we hope to see it continue to grow,” said Chuck Miller, director of Darlington County Adult Education, adding that future plans could expand classroom space and community programs to the now-closed third floor.
The Child Care Center offers supervised care Monday through Thursday from 8 am to 12 pm, and from 5 pm to 8 pm. To use the child care services, parents need only supply their child’s health card. Some age exceptions are available for elementary school-aged kids, who can stay at the center and receive homework help while their parents are on site.
DCFS executive director Darnell McPherson says the Diva Den is also available for use by community groups and organizations seeking a nice spot for a small gathering.
To learn more about the Diva Den, contact Ashley Holman at (843) 857-3148, visit DCFS online at www.DarlingtonCountyFirstSteps.org, or drop by for a visit at the new Diva Den, located at 437 W. Carolina Ave in Hartsville (first floor in Building #1).
