If you are a college student who wants to bring peace of mind to pregnant and parenting classmates, we have a simple and direct way you can do just that. Students for Life of America’s Standing With You initiative has begun working with campuses all over the country to compile Campus Resource Guides for pregnant and parenting students — and you can be a part of this, too.
These guides will contain all the campus policies, lactation and diaper changing locations, housing policies and exemptions, local help, classroom absence rules, etc. in one convenient location. This is a fundamental pillar of Standing With You — becoming a resource for women and helping her find additional resources she needs.
There are many different questions that come up when a student finds out they are expecting a baby. For instance, where will they live? Can they finish their degree? Will they lose their scholarship? And some of the most basic questions never seem to have a simple answer.
We see this obstacle and want to invite our students from all over the country to find the answers to these questions along with creating more tangible support. This is an important step in making sure that college campuses are held accountable for what they say they offer. And if your school doesn’t provide enough support, you can work with us to propose new, life-affirming policies. This past semester, we have had more than 50 different campus policy change proposals to better serve pregnant and parenting women on campus.
In addition to listing the resources available either on your campus or in your city, your campus group can also become a resource! This is possible through many different avenues. For example, fundraising money for scholarships, collecting baby items to give away, offering babysitting services, driving women to their prenatal or children’s doctor appointments, or petitioning to change campus policies for pregnant and parenting students.
Being able to help starts by identifying what help is needed. You can begin by identifying what your campus already offers and by asking the pregnant and parenting students on campus what challenges they are facing and how you can make this time easier for them. We have had a number of campuses already beginning this process and you can see their success stories in our earlier blogs or on our social media.
Making a change starts with your courage to take the initiative, and we have created the path in which you can do this. Stand with the mothers on your campus by helping them navigate their way through school and parenting.
Contact us today if you have any questions about how to begin this process.
