Northern Kentucky University (NKU) among five universities receiving $60,000 in Childcare Provider Expansion (CPE) grants to boost services for student parents.
In a significant move to improve the academic success of student parents, the Kentucky Student Success Collaborative (KYSSC)—an initiative of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE)—recently awarded five $60,000 planning grants to public colleges and universities in Kentucky.
The grant recipients include Northern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, Maysville Community College, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, and Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College. These institutions will utilise the funds to develop strategic plans aimed at enhancing support for undergraduate students who are also parents.
Each strategic plan will detail prioritised solutions, implementation timelines, staffing or resource needs, and sustainability models. The plans will also outline a nine-month continuous improvement process to identify strategies that can improve outcomes for students balancing coursework with childcare responsibilities.
As part of the grant conditions, campuses will be required to complete a needs assessment. This comprehensive review will include a detailed examination of current supports, barriers, and demographic data related to undergraduate parenting students on campus.
The grant recipients will also engage in partnership development, aligning resources and coordinating services with campus and community stakeholders. Strategies may include affordable childcare solutions through campus-based centers or partnerships with community-based services and early childhood providers.
During the grant period, campuses will execute at least one early-stage implementation step. Examples of such steps include establishing a parenting student task force, launching a childcare referral hub, piloting evening care, or creating dedicated study/lounge spaces for student-parents.
Upon completion of the planning phase, each institution will prepare a final report detailing planning efforts, outcomes achieved, initial implementation steps taken, and strategies for sustaining and expanding the work.
The KYSSC's commitment to supporting student parents is commendable. By addressing the unique challenges faced by these students, Kentucky is taking a significant step towards ensuring equitable access to higher education for all.
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