Student-Parents and Child Care Needs
Based on the white paper by Alexis Herschkowitsch, Megan Carolan, and Citlaly Rojo.
“Over three million U.S. undergraduates are student-parents, juggling parenting and higher education to build the future they envision for their families.”
The Unique Challenges Facing Student-Parents
The issue of student-parents and their child care needs is a particularly timely subject, as several federal sources which support student-parents are facing debates about their long-term funding. These student-parents face a unique set of challenges to completing their education, including access to affordable, quality child care. At the same time, they must navigate a higher education system often designed for full-time “traditional” students. This includes schedules that shift each semester, programs not designed with flexibility, and a lack of child care support. Improved resources for student-parents, particularly child care, can be transformative.
Over three million U.S. undergraduates are student-parents, juggling parenting and higher education to build the future they envision for their families. Many of these students also work, whether part-time or full-time. Research finds that student-parents who complete their degrees improve their long-term economic status; this is particularly important considering many of these students come from low-income backgrounds and are often first-generation college students.
Child Care is Crucial for Student-Parents
It is important to note that child care subsidies are a critically underfunded program. While student-parents can access this support in a few states, funding levels are not sufficient in most states to meet demand. One underutilized source of funding for student-parents is the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), implemented individually by each state. In 2018, approximately 110,000 student-parents received child care assistance which represents only 13% of those eligible. Student-parents may be unaware of so-called child care vouchers, may not meet the specific eligibility criteria for their state, or may struggle to submit verification.
Student-parents who juggle education with caregiving face a number of unique challenges to degree completion. At the same time, the long-term economic benefits of degree completion for these students and their children are significant. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration from multiple sectors. Improvements to the child care system broadly, including expansion of child care vouchers and measures to increase supply, will also assist student-parents.
Foundations and community-based organizations can play a role in supporting these students through collaborating and funding innovative programs such as campus collaborations, data collection and dissemination, and supporting student-parents in their other social needs such as mental health. Investing in student-parents can deliver benefits for the individual students, their children, the local workforce, and whole communities.
Student-parents are a vital part of society, and more can and should be done to support this unique population. Greater educational opportunities for parents mean better outcomes for children.
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