Letter to the Editor: Baby on board

Have you ever considered the obstacles of completing college as a parent? This thought rarely crossed my mind until six odd months ago when I received a positive pregnancy test. Though filled with excitement and anticipation, I find myself questioning my ability to finish one last remaining semester next fall with my son due in August. Grappling with the how-to of my dilemma has become an enormous headache and cause for worry. One service could potentially eliminate several barriers for myself while providing affordable daycare and employment options for students, faculty and the community, and that service is childcare on campus.

For students in a situation similar to my own, affordable day care on campus can help assist student-parents in completing their degrees and continuing to raise their children. Parents that haven’t considered attending Luther might find themselves more apt to utilize these resources to further their education. Student-parents ought not have to choose between dropping out of college or raising a child, especially when successful childcare programs have been implemented on campuses around the country. For students that aren’t parents, childcare on campus can offer work-study positions, as well as providing students the ability to work with children and develop parenting skills.

Faculty and community members can profit from this service as well. Research reveals that 40 to 60 percent of childcare in the United States has been deemed sub-standard. Luther has access to several resources and departments that can enhance this program, including education, art, music and language, improving the quality of childcare administered. Opening this service up to the faculty and community members of Decorah will increase need and could potentially provide students with jobs and generate revenue to balance the cost.

Earning a degree not only improves eligibility for better-paying jobs, but it can also help parents educate their own children. Without childcare on campus, parents become marginalized, isolated in their hardships and limited in their abilities to enhance their lives and provide a better future for their children. For those that aren’t parents or expecting, making Luther a family-friendly campus can benefit all students and staff and broaden the diversity on campus.

- Amanda Sattler (‘10)