{"id":215835,"date":"2019-12-24T16:01:12","date_gmt":"2019-12-24T22:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=215835"},"modified":"2019-12-23T20:02:28","modified_gmt":"2019-12-24T02:02:28","slug":"colleges-universities-pregnant-parenting-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/colleges-universities-pregnant-parenting-students\/","title":{"rendered":"How colleges and universities can help pregnant and parenting students"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

(National Review<\/a>) During the Christmas season, we hear the story of a pregnant woman who couldn\u2019t find room at an inn and eventually gave birth in a barn. Housing for pregnant women and those with children has been a problem for quite a while. A Pregnant and Parenting Ratings Project \u2014 developed by Students for Life of America\u2019s\u00a0Pregnant on Campus program<\/a>\u00a0to study college and university campuses \u2014 found that housing is one of five areas that affects students\u2019 ability to stay in school. Addressing obstacles to educational success for these students is of vital importance to strengthen access to a college degree<\/a>, one of society\u2019s best protections against poverty.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0Pew Charitable Trust study<\/a>\u00a0reported that 47 percent of people who do not achieve a college degree stay at the same economic level for life, while almost nine out of ten people who earn a degree achieve upward mobility. Yet few college and universities focus on the needs of those who are pregnant and parenting, which is now about one in five<\/a>\u00a0college students.<\/p>\n

With more than 1,200 groups on college and university campuses, SFLA understands the challenges facing these students. SFLA\u2019s Pregnant on Campus team developed a template for evaluating schools looking at five key issues: Title IX compliance, housing access, on-campus resources, financial assistance, and medical attention. A beta test of the program in Chicago took eight months and looked at 19 colleges and universities. With the template in place, we will soon apply the grading system in Dallas as well as Orange County, Calif., and make the information available to SFLA\u00a0student\u00a0leaders\u00a0to evaluate schools across the country.<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Here are the 12 best public campuses for pregnant and parenting students<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Results reveal neglect of the needs of pregnant and parenting students, with two-year schools performing much worse than four-year colleges and universities, despite the fact that many parenting students are at community colleges.\u00a0Student parents represent 26 percent<\/a>\u00a0of the student body at public two-year institutions.\u00a0Unfortunately, as\u00a0the number of\u00a0student parents increases\u00a0on these campuses, the\u00a0available resources\u00a0often decrease.<\/p>\n

Overall,\u00a0only 5 percent of schools\u00a0in Chicago\u00a0had parking for expectant mothers;\u00a014 percent of schools didn\u2019t allow pregnant students to remain in their dorms (a Title IX violation);\u00a0and\u00a0only 21 percent of schools provide\u00a0child care\u00a0for\u00a0infants. All schools struggled in the\u00a0area\u00a0of financial assistance, with only 5 percent\u00a0of schools offering grants to pregnant and parenting students and only 42 percent\u00a0offering scholarships.<\/p>\n

The ratings project found\u00a0that 95 percent\u00a0of\u00a0all schools provided a lactation room on\u00a0campuses\u00a0and looked\u00a0at other common service needs, such as family housing (if applicable), diaper-changing tables in a majority of men\u2019s and women\u2019s restrooms,\u00a0and the availability of\u00a0STD\/STI testing at the campus health center compared to pregnancy testing.<\/p>\n

Access to child care on\u00a0campuses, which is often\u00a0already\u00a0made available to teaching staff and administration employees,\u00a0is especially vital for new mothers, who disproportionately bear the brunt of balancing school and family, as\u00a0women\u00a0make up 71 percent\u00a0of all student parents<\/a>. We found that only\u00a058 percent\u00a0of schools\u00a0offered\u00a0some form of child care to students, though most did not include infant care.<\/p>\n

Schools interested in student retention would make child care a priority.\u00a0A\u00a02013\u00a0study<\/a> at Monroe Community College found that\u00a0parents who used the campus\u2019s\u00a0child care\u00a0were three times more likely to graduate or go on to pursue a bachelor\u2019s degree within three years of enrollment compared with parents who did not.<\/p>\n

Following the evaluation, we sent our findings to college Student Activities Directors, Title IX Coordinators, Housing Directors, and Financial Aid offices, with suggestions for how they could improve campus access, as well as praise for existing policies that were working.<\/p>\n

Some schools responded immediately and compassionately.\u00a0Saint Xavier University\u00a0set up a committee to review the ideas presented, and students\u00a0are\u00a0now\u00a0working\u00a0to\u00a0create a\u00a0child-care\u00a0center on campus.\u00a0Roosevelt University,\u00a0the\u00a0University\u00a0of Illinois at\u00a0Chicago,\u00a0and\u00a0Chicago State University\u00a0also reached out to partner on proactive policies.<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0One in five undergraduate students are raising children. It\u2019s time to make sure they get the help they need.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n