Yet few college and universities focus on the needs of those who are pregnant and parenting, which is now about one in five college students. Pregnant and parenting students have several options for continuing and completing their education. Although there are more than 3.7 million parenting students in higher education, current data about these students is based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – which many students do not complete. I want policies that reflect the value of investing in parenting students and their children. I work as a graduate assistant at Fresno State’s case management service, Project HOPE, which provides resources for students facing barriers to completing school.
In order to to explore the impact of transitioning from standalone schools to wraparound services, we focus primarily on the case of the Polly T. McCabe Center in New Haven, Connecticut. Currently, districts seem to be trending toward the latter model, with many alternative “pregnancy schools” across the country having closed within the past few years (Einhorn, 2015; Swaby, 2016). I would love to hear how you’re serving this population of teen parents in your school already, or how you are going to look to serve them in new and unique ways. Meaningful conversations, explorative activities, I think we can see that our students will show grit and endurance to reach their goals as they continue to try to provide the best lives they can for themselves and their babies.
During the Accommodation Period, students retain any salary or stipend and benefits, except as otherwise stated in their contract or grant. In addition to the accommodation period, students are permitted to take a leave of absence. The accommodation period preserves student status, funding, health insurance, and housing eligibility. In addition, teaching responsibilities may be suspended, except for those students on external fellowships, who must follow the conditions of their funding agency. The following are examples of policies that permit new student parents to postpone the completion of academic requirements while retaining benefits.
Office Of Title IX
Many pregnant and parenting students face time management challenges due to their home responsibilities. The university wishes to create an environment that encourages voluntary sharing of this information so that the university can provide support for the physical and mental health of the student. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities including academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic, and other programs or activities of schools. This data is critical to understanding whether educational institutions are meeting student parents’ needs, and for sorting out where additional support should be provided. Starting September 1, 2023, any public postsecondary institution which provides early registration has to offer it to parenting students because of Texas Ed.
What does it mean to be a pregnant or parenting university student in Illinois?
There is less comprehensive research and discussion on the efficacy of wraparound services compared to separate brick-and-mortar schools. One aspect of alternative schools that is less easily replicable in a public school setting is the community of peers that the space inherently provides. Another study comparing teen mothers to their closest peers such as childless sisters or pregnant teens who had miscarried) found that the negative impact of having a child itself was marginal compared to the impact of a disadvantaged background (Halpern, 2011).
Offer designated parking for pregnant and parenting students. Supporting pregnant and parenting students is a multifaceted challenge that calls for a blend of empathy, innovation, and data-driven strategies. The more data you analyze, the better equipped you are to craft tailored interventions for pregnant and parenting students. Empowering pregnant and parenting students to become self-advocates is vital for long-term success.
- But think about it like it’s hard for a high schooler who’s not pregnant themselves or caring for another human to make and keep a doctor’s appointment.
- This high level of engagement serves to not only encourage academic achievement, but also help students overcome external barriers that might discourage them from completing their education.
- Measures regarding the right to education and pregnancy, protective or restrictive, are often contained in policies and plans, rather than clear provisions in laws.
MDH final summary report
When a student became pregnant, they left the school to finish somewhere else. If you don’t already have a list of these things or have a social worker who’s getting that together for you, put this together for your school, for your students, for your area, that wouldn’t be a bad thing. But I https://www.roberts.edu/wellness-center/crisis-and-community-resources/ just wanted to say that the point of this episode is to shine a light on a group of students who could use some extra support. There are interventions you can put in place to help your pregnant students transition to parenthood and reach their future goals. Social network analysis may be a promising tool for understanding how partnerships strengthen over the course of program implementation, but rigorous research is needed to determine whether strengthening partnerships actually improves service delivery and teen parents’ outcomes. Although these studies provide important insight into serving teen parents, additional research is needed.