Resources for Students Parents at Concord

Student parents are common now on campuses across the world, and have many challenges to deal with on a daily basis. Parents need to have time to earn their degrees while actually being a parent to their children. Concord University has student parents that know these challenges and can cope with them as they attend school. 

    Parenting is never an easy job. Student parents have to have time for many activities such as homework, laundry, and one-on-one time with their children. Student parents struggle to find time for their children while also finding time to study for classes. 

    One option for non-traditional students is the choice of online education to allow them to be at home with their children. These programs allow them to be with their children while still giving them the opportunity to obtain a college degree, but it can be difficult to find motivation in these types of classes.

    Ashley Meadows, a mother of two and a secondary English major, knows how challenging it can be for parents to find time with their children while juggling school work. “The hardest part for me going back to school is making sure I always have time with my boys. I promised them that when I started school that we would still spend as much time together as we always did. I just have to be more creative and multi-task more,” says Meadows.

    One resource available to student parents are their own families. Family members can help watch children while the parents attend classes or need time to work on assignments. “My mother helps me by taking the boys to appointments or keeping them if they are sick.  I also have the best neighbors, who will help me with the boys at the drop of a hat if there is an emergency,” says Meadows. While having family ready to help is a great asset to many parents, there is the problem for those who have no family members to help care for them while the parent attends classes or if the children are not old enough to attend school.     

    Many colleges now offer daycare services for those that have no family or friends to watch their children. The Concord University Child Development Center is a West Virginia Department of Health Resources licensed child-care center. The center takes children aged three months to twelve years old. They provide educational services that are designed to meet a child’s needs. 

    Keisha Jeffery, a worker at the Child Development Center, says parents interested in enrolling their children into the daycare need to fill out application forms. The daycare can hold a maximum of 60 children and offers a 10% discount to student parents. The Child Development Center is located in the South Tower dorm. Parents can come during class breaks to visit their children, which is convenient for many parents that have long breaks between classes. There are many activities available to the children while they are in the daycare. “We do trips with the kids, and take them across campus and do whatever child activities are available,” says Jeffery. 

    Child-care on college campuses is important to many parents. When daycares are available to parents it gives them a better chance at graduating. Student parents worry about being able to graduate, but it is a goal they all want. Not only for themselves, but for their children. “When you walk across the stage at your graduation, you will be able to show your children that it is possible to achieve your dreams,” says Meadows. 

    The center is open to students, faculty, staff, and the community and operates 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. They are closed on major holidays, but open in the summer.  For additional information, call (304) 384-6335.