Child care, not welfare

By: Mario Cacciottolo

A very obvious and evident need
Teen parents on welfare risk getting trapped in the system
You don't have to put your life on hold. You can do anything you put your mind to

Politicians, Principals and institutions all extol the virtues of life-long learning, expressing their desire for people of all ages, races and social backgrounds to be able to enter education at any point in their lives.

Naturally, in order for such a diverse group of non-traditional students to be able to flourish, a competent support network has to be in place to cope with the particular circumstances attached to the individual.

A very obvious and evident need

Single parents who wish to educate themselves further are a particular group with a very obvious and evident need - that of quality, affordable child care to allow them the freedom to become engrossed in lectures or buried in study at the library. For those who can't find adequate support for their parental status, problems can easily arise such as not enough time, not enough money, and not enough understanding from the university and faculty about their particular needs.

Such is the importance attributed to the task of getting single parents into education that great steps are taken by many institutions to sustain the demand for child care. Last year the Pauline Johnson Collegiate and Vocational Day Care Centre in Brantford, Ontario launched the Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP) program, a $25 million (Canadian) scheme that offers parents child care and other supports while they complete their education.

Canadian Community and Social Services Minister John Baird paid a visit to the centre. "Education unlocks the doors to employment and opportunity," he said. "Finishing high school is the first step to a better future for teen parents and their children. Staying home is not an option."

In addition to assistance with child care, LEAP provides parenting courses, counselling and other supports, particularly to teenage parents. For these the parenting courses are compulsory, each teen parent must attend a minimum of 35 hours.

Teen parents on welfare risk getting trapped in the system

"Without a good education, teen parents on welfare risk getting trapped in the system," said Baird. "Our goal is to help them and their children avoid a lifetime of welfare dependency." University of Western Ontario Sociologist, Professor Paul Whitehead believes the LEAP program is a positive step forward. "Ensuring these young people stay in school is essential if they are to break the cycle of welfare dependency and provide for themselves and their families," says Whitehead. "The single factor most related to long-term unemployment is inadequate education."

Another academic institution taking great steps to provide child care support is the Borough of Manhattan Community College, who have recently opened an Early Childhood Centre. This has a redesigned main floor, a new mezzanine level, new indoor and outdoor play areas and a new rectangular wing. The new two-story centre, which looks after the children of the college's students and is triangular in shape, is 7,370 square feet, with six classrooms allowing up to 113 children to be accommodated. Observation windows will offer students on the early learning course the opportunity to study the pre-school environment. Weekly fees range from one dollar to $35, according to the parent's income.

There are a growing number of students who are trying to cope with the pressure of academic advancement and the strains of single parental life. For many of these individuals, the need for affordable yet acceptable child care can be the difference between continuing with their studies or having to drop out. Figures from the American Council on Education, based in Washington, claim that by 2005 there will be roughly 6.5 million students aged 25 and above attending the nation's higher education institutions. This naturally leads the way for the rise of single parents in education, although the issue in the teenage range is just as critical. Currently there are nearly 2,000 on-campus child care institutions.

The academic institutions themselves have much to gain through offering child care to their students. Doing so helps to prevent any disruption to classrooms, as students will often bring a child to their lecture if they have no-where else for them to be. This has initial novelty value, but is generally not conducive to a proper learning environment. The students who eventually do drop out cost not only the institution, but the nation as well, especially in the case of those who return to an existence reliant on welfare.

This issue is not a new one, nor is the innovation behind those who create the need. Thirty years ago a group of graduate students at Cornell University assisted in the creation of a scheme to provide on-site day care, by pioneering a parent co-operative to take care of each other's children. This has blossomed into a modern day nursery that provides for 50 children, whose parents are either students or members of Cornell's faculty and staff. Although the nursery is not actually officially connected with Cornell, the University donates room on campus for free.

You don't have to put your life on hold. You can do anything you put your mind to

York Technical College has a Woman's Centre that also provides various initiatives for its students, although some of its 75 single parents are fathers. Those who attend the centre receive assistance such life, money and stress management. One participant, Fontella Gilmore explained to the Herald Online website the value of not losing hope even when childbirth, with all its added responsibility, is imminent. "At first, when I got pregnant, I thought it was no use," she said. "But you can have an education with your child. You don't have to put your life on hold. You can do anything you put your mind to. It will be harder, but you can do it."

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