CINCINNATI — A new home away from home for pregnant teens opened its doors in Avondale this week.
Rosemary's Babies Co. began operations in its new state-of-the-art facility, the Holloway House & Resource Center, on Monday. The newly renovated 6,900 square foot mansion has seven bedrooms, two kitchens, a laundry room, a computer lab, a media center, a driving simulator and so much more.
Teen mom Akyla Daniels stood in the home with tears in her eyes.
"The day I found out I was pregnant with my twins, I was 16 at the time," she shared.
She said, at one point, she had nowhere to go and nowhere to live.
"I know how it feels to sleep on someone's couch who makes it loud and clear they don't want you there," she said with tears streaming down her face. "Or, you know, having to sleep in your car with twins with blankets up at a park, hoping the police don't come and take your babies away,"
Watch the video below to learn more about the Holloway House:
Daniels found a home away from home with Rosemary's Babies at its Petal Playhouse, now expanding to the Holloway House & Resource Center.
"Currently, there's nowhere for teen parents with their babies to go," founder Rosemary Oglesby-Henry said. "We're one of the premier resources for teens that are pregnant from ages 9 to 19."
Oglesby-Henry knows all too well what Daniels went through. She was also a teen mom at 16 years old.
"I've been through it," Oglesby-Henry said. "I've been through the process of learning on my own."
Oglesby-Henry said she wanted to be a part of the solution for homeless teen parents, which is why she created the center. She said 35% of the teens she was helping were homeless.
Now, with the help of local leaders and several organizations, including The Port and Cincinnati Zoo, Oglesby-Henry's nonprofit can serve 1,000 families in-person and virtually each year.
"We're really excited to bring this facility to the Avondale community where I'm from," Oglesby-Henry said, smiling. "I'm home y'all."
Daniels works beside Oglesby-Henry, helping with the Rosemary's Babies Co. Holloway House & Resource Center.
"I hope, in the future, I can help this legacy grow," she said.
For more information about the center, click this link.
