Make Your Campus Family Friendly

by Kristan Hawkins | March 3, 2014
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Pregnant and parenting resources are important to prospective and current students.  Without resources and support, pregnant and parenting students may be forced into a life path with little or no college education, reduced employment prospects, and possibly poverty. By challenging your school to improve resources and support for your pregnant and parenting community, you will be impacting not only your peers but also their families.These resources will also play an important role in the work experience of your school’s faculty and staff.

As the pro-life student group on your campus, you need to ensure that your peers are receiving comprehensive information about available resources (on campus and in the community) so that they can make informed decisions about their health and about their educational advancement. Moreover, your group needs to be pushing projects that will transform your campus into a “family friendly” community! Your efforts to increase awareness and resources on campus will encourage more students to recognize the support available for pregnant and parenting students.

First, you will want to do a simple brainstorming session with your group. Ask your group these general questions and begin to assess your school’s current state:

  • When future students or employees visit our campus, what is their experience?
  • What resources would they easily notice on campus (when visiting or while attending)?
  • What resources do students learn about during orientation?
  • How do current students perceive our campus’ resources for pregnant and parenting individuals?

Next, take our SFLA/FFL Survey (here). Some questions that you will review include:

  • What are our school policies concerning pregnant and parenting students? Do these policies serve to assist and support our students? Or do they exclude them from our school community and/or deny them privileges offered to other students?
  • What current accommodations are available to these students on campus- such as larger desks for pregnant students, diaper decks, and lactation rooms?
  • Are childcare services available for faculty, staff, and students?
  • Do we have housing available on campus for pregnant and parenting students?
  • Does our school offer scholarships or financial aid to single parents?
  • What accommodations is our school required (by state law) to provide, and has our school met these requirements?

Third, set goals, and take action! Your group should now answer these questions:

  • What will our pro-life group do to improve and expand our school’s resources?
  • What are some practical short-term and long-term goals for our group?

Is your pro-life group ready to commit to the Pregnant on Campus Initiative? Take the leap! Contact your SFLA Regional Coordinator for assistance in starting this program on your campus.

Want to learn more about pregnant and parenting students’ rights? Click the links below to learn more about Title IX and how your school can better assist your pregnant and parenting students:

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Questions? Comments? Email Beth O’Malley at [email protected].