Tough Times With Toddlers

Gregory Miller doesn't know why he has to stay with his grandmother in Mississippi.

Traveling back and forth every few weeks to pick him up, Willette Miller, Gregory's mother and a graduate student in human development and family sciences, is faced with a tough choice: finishing her last semester of graduate school or taking care of her 11-month-old son.

"One of the ways that I am able to graduate is to have his paternal grandmother keep him because I just recently got laid off from my second job," Miller said. "Luckily, though, I do have a support base that is able to help me. If I didn't have that, I would basically have to drop out of school."

Miller, who only needs to finish her thesis, is not alone in her struggle to go to school, maintain a steady income and take care of a small child.

"I have an obligation to finish my academic requirements as well as provide for my son, so obviously time for classes cuts into time I would be available to work a full-time job to earn money to provide for my family," Miller said.

Currently, Auburn has a number of programs and resources available to faculty parents, but there are no resources available to aid student parents.

However, the University has helped student parents in the past.

The Auburn University Childcare Connection Program was a federal grant offering low income students support in their pursuit of a degree with assistance in providing appropriate childcare for their children.

Julia James, academic adviser who used to work with the Childcare Connection Program, said the reason the University no longer offers support is funding.

"It was a federally funded program through the Department of Education, and those funds were exhausted a number of years ago," James said. "It's a shame because I know there is a great need out there, but I don't know that there is anything in the works."

Pamela Smith, program director for the Family Guidance Center of Alabama, said while Auburn doesn't provide any resources to students, college-aged parents are currently eligible for up to two years of state and federal aid.

"The state will allow for 24 months of part time childcare benefits for education purposes," Smith said.

After two years, Smith said the state expects students to be employable for a full-time position.

For students attending a four year college like Auburn, only juniors and seniors are eligible for these benefits and most available care is not full-time.

"It is very challenging and I wish there were other types of resources that they could utilize," Smith said. "I don't know the reason why they don't have services for college students, but I wish they did. These students are making an effort to be self sufficient and be able to afford to take care of their children, but they aren't given an opportunity for assistance."

Auburn does have a small number of parenting resources like childcare on campus, but these are only for faculty and employees.

"We have done a child care needs assessment for faculty, and these needs are not currently being met," said Rachel Birmingham, graduate student in human development and family studies. "We haven't really been focusing on students needs, but we definitely recognize that there is a need."

Birmingham said Auburn has dedicated research to childcare needs, but only the needs of faculty and employees.

While Auburn spends its time researching and meeting the needs of the faculty, some students are left wondering what they are supposed to do.

"Money has to be made in order to pay for everything," Miller said. "I would assume it is even more difficult for an undergraduate student."

Miller said most graduate classes are scheduled at night, meaning she can take advantage of daytime care and just worry about finding a sitter at night.

However, she said undergraduate students have it even tougher because their classes are mixed throughout the day and night. Without any type of priority registration, many of these students are left hustling to find care for their children.

Blair Snell, senior in nursing and mother of 7-month-old Ava Grace, said she has to prioritize.

"You don't want to miss too much of your child growing up, but at the same time, it's important to finish schooling to provide," Snell said.

Best case scenario would be for Auburn to begin providing a place for on-campus childcare that is affordable and available to students, Miller said.

"There are a lot of students being trained to deal with early childhood education," Miller said. "They often take internships around the county, and if Auburn University would allocate more day care space and extend that to students, they could implement a program to provide students with a place to do their internship within University walls."

Miller said this would be a huge help to take pressure off students who are struggling.

Snell said she agrees a campus childcare program for students would be beneficial.

"It would make it easier because I wouldn't have to worry about my schedule as much," Snell said. "I would know there was a safe place to leave her."

Snell also said she would like to see student housing be able to accommodate young parents, too.

"It would be a good thing to have housing adaptable to student parents," Snell said. "If I wasn't from here, I would have had to drop out."

Until the funds become available to make similar programs possible, Gregory Miller will stay in Mississippi while his mother works to finish her last semester of graduate school.