Expand Access to Affordable High-Quality Child Care to Better Serve Black Student Fathers
By India Heckstall and Christian Collins
Black student fathers encounter unique challenges in obtaining a degree from an institution of higher education. Seventy-two percent withdraw from their program; in addition, they work more hours and owe more in undergraduate student loans than their peers. Two barriers that particularly affect Black student fathers are the escalating cost of child care and shortage of on-campus child care facilities.
The Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) and Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) programs are valuable lifelines to accessing affordable child care. Institutions of higher education can use CCAMPIS funding to expand on-campus child care, offer drop-in child care services, and help students pay for child care services provided by off-campus centers. Increasing investments in affordable high-quality child care through these programs will help institutions of higher education offer better support to college students with children and improve their economic security.