Single mothers and other parenting students make up an increasing proportion of the postsecondary student population in the U.S., and addressing their needs is essential to equitable postsecondary education and career opportunities.
 
Frederick Community College (FCC) was one of eight colleges selected to participate in College Success for Single Mothers, led by the National College Transition Network at World Education, in partnership with Achieving the Dream and PERG Learning, funded by ECMC Foundation.
 
The National College Transition Network at World Education recently released a report - Transforming Data into Action: Fostering College Success for Single Mothers and Parenting Students - which describes the findings and impacts from their work and offers insights into what contributed to the success of their efforts.
 
“FCC recognizes the need to properly evaluate and address how we serve our parenting and caregiving student population,” said Professor of English, English and Humanities Department Chair Dr. Anne Hofmann, who led FCC’s task force in this effort. “From both national data and our internal review, we know that community college student parents and caregivers are a large, often invisible, high-risk population with high stop out and dropout rates.”
 
Informed by data, FCC developed and implemented an 18-month action plan outlining goals and strategies for addressing the findings and creating sustainable supports for parenting students. To address these findings, FCC has taken the following actions:

• Established a full-time position dedicated to providing support, academic monitoring, connection to resources, and campus advocacy for the student parent population.
• Provides enrolled student parents/caregivers with regular communication about important College information, deadlines, and specific events and programming designed for them and their families.
• Conducts personalized outreach to student parents who may be experiencing academic and personal challenges.
• Provides personalized success coaching and support for participants in the Parents Lead, Project Forward Step, and CCAMPIS (Childcare Access Means Parents in School) programs.
• Features profiles of several FCC student parents to showcase their lived experiences and increases the visibility of the student parent/caregiver population on campus.
• Hosted numerous events specifically designed for student parents and their families.
• Purchased highchairs for use in the dining area of the Cougar Café.

Planned efforts for the near future include:

• As of April 2024, student parents receive priority registration so they can build class schedules that are flexible and fit with their many commitments.
• Parking spaces will be designated for expectant parents or families in parking lots around campus.
• A family study lounge will serve as an inclusive and welcoming environment for student parents and caregivers to study alongside their children.
• The Adult Students and Family Resource Center website will be enhanced to include information about campus resources and support services as well as community resources for the adult and student parent/caregiver population.

The entire project report can be viewed here. For more information about FCC’s involvement in this project, please contact Dr. Anne Hofmann at 240-629-7926 or [email protected]. For information about any of the student resources mentioned above, please contact Michelle Ricketts, Director of Student Success and Retention, at 301-624-2707 or [email protected].