Making Child Care Work for Student Parents

Broken child care infrastructure in the United States has received increased attention in recent years. For student parents in higher education, who sit at the nexus of higher education, labor, child care, and other policy areas that impact families, access to child care can make or break their ability to complete their credentials and achieve economic security for themselves and their children. 

Join us to hear more about New America’s Policy Agenda on Improving Child Care Access for Student Parents and to learn how our guest speakers expanded child care access for student parents through improved access to state subsidies, partnerships, higher education systemwide coordination, and beyond. 

Increasingly, states identify child care as infrastructure and understand that families and economies benefit from robust, affordable, quality child care options. Families need child care so parents can work, and for many of the 3 million undergraduate student parents across the country, access to child care can mean the difference between completing their education and increasing their family’s financial stability or stopping out of college altogether.

As child care advocates and state leaders develop solutions to the child care crisis, considering the needs of student parents can help ensure their families aren’t left behind. Child care advocates and student parent advocates can work together to build solutions that meet the needs of student parents and their children.   

Speakers: 

Stephanie Baker, New America

Carrie Welton, Trellis Strategies

Michelle Demeulenaere, Louisiana Board of Regents

Shanta Reddick, Forsyth Technical Community College

Maureen Maillard, State University of New York System