Evaluating the Role of Campus Child Care in Student Parent Success: Challenges and Opportunities for Rigorous Study. IWPR #C506
Saved in:
| Title: | Evaluating the Role of Campus Child Care in Student Parent Success: Challenges and Opportunities for Rigorous Study. IWPR #C506 |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Reichlin Cruse, Lindsey, Richburg-Hayes, Lashawn, Hare, Amanda, Contreras-Mendez, Susana, Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR), Insight Policy Research |
| Source: | Institute for Women's Policy Research. 2021. |
| Availability: | Institute for Women's Policy Research. 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 301, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-833-4362; Fax: 202-785-5100; e-mail: iwpr@iwpr.org; Web site: http://www.iwpr.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 26 |
| Publication Date: | 2021 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Arnold Ventures |
| Intended Audience: | Researchers; Administrators; Practitioners |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Child Care, College Students, Parents, Student Personnel Services, Child Care Centers, Graduation Rate, Academic Persistence, Administrators, COVID-19, Pandemics, Data Collection |
| Geographic Terms: | Georgia, Washington, Maryland, Arizona, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Utah, Wisconsin |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NCES), Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study |
| Abstract: | The COVID-19 pandemic brought the care crisis in the United States to the fore. Unprecedented closures of child care programs throughout 2020 placed a disproportionate burden on families, and mothers in particular. For parents enrolled in college or considering postsecondary enrollment at the time of the pandemic, the loss of child care services had an amplified effect-- threatening to derail their education goals. This brief draws on a series of interviews with campus child care directors and a review of data and relevant literature. It presents information for academic and institutional researchers, campus child care practitioners, college and university staff and administrators, and other stakeholders interested in understanding the availability and importance of campus child care services for student parent success. The brief makes the case for the importance of building rigorous evidence of the effect of campus child care access on student outcomes and discusses the factors related to campus child care center operations and institutional data collection that can, at times, undermine the ability to rigorously study the effectiveness of child care supports for student parents. The authors' findings are discussed in the context of evidence-based decision making to articulate the challenges and opportunities for conducting rigorous study. Given the timing of the feasibility study, the brief also provides a snapshot of campus child care providers' experiences during COVID-19. It concludes with recommendations to improve conditions for rigorous research on the role of campus child care in the outcomes of students with children. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2022 |
| Accession Number: | ED617783 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | The COVID-19 pandemic brought the care crisis in the United States to the fore. Unprecedented closures of child care programs throughout 2020 placed a disproportionate burden on families, and mothers in particular. For parents enrolled in college or considering postsecondary enrollment at the time of the pandemic, the loss of child care services had an amplified effect-- threatening to derail their education goals. This brief draws on a series of interviews with campus child care directors and a review of data and relevant literature. It presents information for academic and institutional researchers, campus child care practitioners, college and university staff and administrators, and other stakeholders interested in understanding the availability and importance of campus child care services for student parent success. The brief makes the case for the importance of building rigorous evidence of the effect of campus child care access on student outcomes and discusses the factors related to campus child care center operations and institutional data collection that can, at times, undermine the ability to rigorously study the effectiveness of child care supports for student parents. The authors' findings are discussed in the context of evidence-based decision making to articulate the challenges and opportunities for conducting rigorous study. Given the timing of the feasibility study, the brief also provides a snapshot of campus child care providers' experiences during COVID-19. It concludes with recommendations to improve conditions for rigorous research on the role of campus child care in the outcomes of students with children. |
|---|
