Childcare Resources

September 20, 2011

Whether in the workplace or on campus, few resources are more desperately needed by parents and their children than childcare.

As Erin Jones points out in today's "Childcare" article:

Whether by choice or necessity, most parents are now working outside the home in order to support their families. According to a report published by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) in 2008, there are 8.6 million families in the United States in which both parents are working, 5.6 million working single parents, and 14.3 million children under the age of six in need of childcare.

And the need is not limited to working parents. A 2011 study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research found that student parents in the United States need more than one million childcare slots but that less than five percent of that need is being met at campus childcare centers. Though student parents make up about one-fourth of all postsecondary students, less than 20% of postsecondary schools offer on-campus childcare, and the children of students rarely get priority when facilities exist.

For parents who need to know how to find childcare that fits their families' needs, Erin's article will be a helpful place to start, pointing to many kinds of resources.

Feminists for Life is also advocating the creation and expansion of childcare support. For example, FFL offers student activists information and materials for starting a revolutionary volunteer babysitting service for student parents on their own campuses. (Student leaders should contact FFL's College Outreach Program Coordinator at coordinator@ffloncampus.org for details.) Through FFL Pregnancy Resource Forums, we also help school administrators prepare more comprehensive plans to provide resources for pregnant and parenting students, including childcare.

Our real strength is in knowing how to get support, and share that support with others. Please forward this email to your friends, family members, and coworkers!

Next Week: "Clothing for Less"
Last Week: "Expanding Your Education"