Each year, the Teaching & Learning Excellence Division (TLED) print wall calendar is designed to inspire faculty to take a deep dive into higher education issues, and this year’s edition is no different. This year’s theme is “Empowering Students by Meeting Basic Needs,” with each month in the calendar highlighting specific essential resources, showcasing how Austin Community College (ACC) and the surrounding community address twelve basic needs through:

  • Innovative curriculum integration
    • ACC faculty have addressed students’ basic needs within their instruction, from free sewing classes to mental health workshops.
  • Supportive campus resources
    • From food pantries to technology loans, ACC campuses are equipped with resources designed to support students’ daily needs directly.
  • Active community engagement
    • We collaborate with local organizations and initiatives to extend support beyond the campus, ensuring that our students can access comprehensive services and opportunities within the wider community.

The goal of this calendar is to ensure faculty are informed about the essential resources available to students. We hope this will help create an educational environment where all students can succeed. For May, the basic need being highlighted is Child Care & Parenting Student Support.

Child Care & Parenting Student Support

We’re committed to ensuring every student has the support they need to thrive. For many students, especially those who are also parents, access to reliable and affordable child care is essential to staying enrolled and engaged. Balancing coursework and parenting responsibilities can be overwhelming, but ACC’s child care services offer meaningful solutions to reduce stress and support student success. This month, we highlight the vital role of the ACC Children’s Lab School and other parenting student resources available across the district. Shannon Saldana, Interim Manager of the ACC Children’s Lab School, shares how these services help parenting students stay focused and confident in their academic journey:

“The ACC Children’s Lab School is a year-round child-care program open to ACC student families, ACC faculty and staff, and the community. We are licensed through the Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation and accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children for Early Learning Programs. When an ACC student is accepted in the day program, families have access to care Monday through Friday; their child can attend even when parents are not in class. The Evening Care program runs during each academic semester, primarily for ACC student families who are taking evening courses or need a study night. We want ACC students to be successful in their courses and know their child is in a safe and high-quality environment with the peace of mind to focus on their studies.”

Parenting students face unique challenges in balancing family and education. Our Child Care Scholarships provide financial assistance for child care costs. The Children’s Lab School offers a full-day, year-round early childhood program with tuition scholarships. Our Evening Child Care program at the Eastview Campus supports those attending evening classes. We connect parenting students with community resources like the AISD Head Start Pre-K3 Program and Head Start programs in Williamson and Burnet Counties, which provide free child care for low-income families. Recent legislation mandates data collection on parenting student success, designates a Liaison Officer to assist, provides protections for pregnant and parenting students, and ensures the earliest registration periods. By providing these services, ACC helps parenting students manage their responsibilities and succeed academically.

Understanding the Need for Child Care and Parenting Support at ACC

Child care access is a critical factor in student success, especially for parenting students who make up a significant portion of the ACC community. Findings from the Student Financial Wellness Survey (Fall 20233 Semester Report) and the ACC Childcare Needs Consultation (Spring 2023) reveal the extent of this need and the barriers students face in balancing caregiving with college.

  • ACC reports that 27% of its student population are parenting students.
    • Additionally, 32% of student parents spend over 40 hours each week on caregiving responsibilities, and 24% have missed classes due to a lack of child care.
    • Among those surveyed, 76% said the cost of care is too high, while 41% could not access care when needed. A further 33% reported being unable to find any caregivers at all.

This data highlights the importance of expanding awareness and ensuring parenting students know how to access available child care services at ACC.

Resources to Share With Your Students

  • Child Care Scholarships: Financial assistance for child care costs.
  • Children’s Lab School: A full-day, year-round early childhood program with tuition scholarships available that serves as a demonstration school for the ACC Child Care and Development Department.
  • Community Head Start Programs: 
  • Evening Child Care: Supports students attending a class or working on coursework at night; offered at the Eastview Campus.
  • Student Advocacy Center: All campus Student Advocates at ACC serve as Parenting Student Liaisons and can be contacted by any parenting student needing additional academic, personal, or basic needs support.

Discussing and addressing these needs is essential for creating an educational environment where all students can succeed. By supporting these fundamental areas, we foster a culture of care and resilience, empowering students to focus on their goals without stress from unmet needs. This calendar aims to inform faculty about these resources, allowing them to share directly with students and address these needs in their instruction.

To learn more about all twelve basic needs highlighted in the TLED Calendar, visit the TLED print wall calendar web page and explore more essential resources.

ACC is committed to supporting every student’s basic needs. We are more than an educational institution —we are a community that cares, supports, and grows together.

“Every Need. Every Student. Every Day.”

 

Forgot to request a calendar? No worries! Additional calendars and sticker packs are available for pick-up at all ACC campus libraries and Teaching & Learning Centers (TLCs). Contact your campus library or TLC to confirm availability.