Balancing school, a social life and work can be difficult for any student, but adding on parental responsibilities only intensifies the stresses of college. Student-parents often have to worry about where their child will be while in class. If Kennesaw State offered a child care facility, not only would it provide peace of mind for parents, but it would also encourage parents to stay in school and pursue higher level degrees.
Nearly a quarter of all college students are parents, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. These students are required to stay on top of their studies as well as manage their time with their families.
Top universities in the state are offering child care, which creates an incentive for students to return to school and focus on their studies. Most of these universities have their services on campus, which means that a parent can visit their child whenever they please or pull them out if an emergency occurs.
Universities such as Emory State, Georgia State and the University of Georgia are just a few of the schools in Georgia that offer day care services for students with children, according to College Simply. Each of these schools has classes or daycare services offered weekly at low or subsidized cost to parents whether they are students, faculty or staff.
Most students seemingly want to start a family early, which creates a pause in pursuing post-secondary education. Most parents also wait until their child is older in order to go back to school.
According to the Atlantic, only 33 percent of parents in 2014 ended up graduating with a degree within six years due to their lifestyle changes.
IWPR stated that 62 percent of student-parents also graduate with more debt than the average student. Most of these debts are a result of their inability to qualify for full financial aid due to a high paying job or because the income flow between a married couple exceeds the financial aid limit.
If a parent has to use an outside daycare facility, they may never see how a child is being treated, may not get a discounted rate for being a student or may have to rush to pick up their sick child.
“It is important for colleges to provide daycare systems to help lift that burden on its workers of thinking about who is [going to] take care of their kids while they are working to have a sound mind when working,” said junior computer science major and father Richard Bioh “It also goes a long way to help students who are parents as well to be able to concentrate at school.”
On-campus care would help student-parents contribute to their goals and create a relief when it comes time to choose classes for the following semester.
“As a parent and nontraditional student, I think it’s a great idea to add daycare facilities to a college campus,” said senior integrative studies major and mother Markeya Williams. “I think more people are choosing to go back to college after starting a career and a family. For me, it’s a challenge juggling family and a full load. Bringing daycare on campus not only eases the daily commute but will also give me comfort knowing my kids are only a few feet away.”
According to Accredited Schools Online, colleges in states such as Nevada also provide the chance for students majoring in early childhood education to get some hands-on training. With the help of a licensed provider, most children benefit from the new teaching methods. Also, it would provide jobs on campus for caretakers and become a strong point for the school of education on campus.
KSU should take the time to establish a childcare facility on both campuses. Students will not have to worry about where their child will be while they are in class and will be able to focus more on school. By having a childcare facility on campus, KSU would help its student-parents continue to pursue their education with some peace of mind.
