If you’ve been to the Knight Library recently, you may have noticed that there is something new: a study room dedicated to students with children.
“This is a friendly space where somebody who is taking care of a child can more comfortably study while they are in the library,” Kate Smith, assistant director of access services for University of Oregon libraries, said. Amenities include a “safe sleep spot for infants,” a space to pump or nurse, furniture Smith described as “child-friendly,” a sit-stand desk and a size-inclusive rocking chair.
Additionally, if the care-giver needs a diaper, they can now pick one up at the circulation desk. There are also “circulating kits of toys to check out” while in the library, according to Smith.
Use of the room requires a reservation, and one can be made on the Rooms and Study Spaces tab of the UO Libraries website.
Moss Street Children’s Center is a go-to child-care option for student parents. Located southeast of the law school, it has been open since 1970.
Moss Street was started “when a group of law students demanded that the UO provide early childhood care to allow them to equitably participate in their academic pursuits,” Becky Lamoureux, the center’s current director, said. It is “supported by fees paid by parents, funds from the student union fee and state/federal grants,” added Lamoureux.
A waitlist is in effect and enrollment for the center’s services opens each year on April 15. This is necessary due to the high demand for child-care and the fact that “the state does not allow us to provide ‘drop-in care,’” Lamoureux said. Their license allows for up to 128 children to be served, according to Lamoureux.
In addition to helping out parents enrolled at UO, the center employs UO students as staff.
More information can be found at the center’s web-page.
The Co-op Family Center is another resource for UO parents. Located in the Spencer View Student Housing complex at 2250 Patterson St., it has been open since 1978. It began as a cooperative, meaning that “UO student families traded time in order to support their childcare needs,” according to information provided on their website.
It has since evolved into a fully-staffed child-care operation, including 13 teachers, administrative staff and 45 to 50 UO students. It serves over 100 children.
Spencer View describes itself as a “Reggio Emilia inspired” school.”Based on our philosophy, we always put the child’s experience and discovery at the center of our theoretical thinking and work,” the website states.
More information, including a waitlist application, can be found at the Co-op Family Center website.
For university faculty and staff, there is the Vivian Olum Child Development Center. This child-care facility is located on campus, just west of Kalapuya Ilihi. It has been in operation since 1990 and also employs students.
All three of the above centers are official UO affiliated child-care programs.
Finally, there is financial assistance. Coordinated via the Dean of Students office as part of the university’s basic needs program, a subsidy exists to help UO student parents defray the costs of child-care. For information on this, as well as links to other child-care assistance opportunities, interested students can visit the UO Basic Needs Program website.
It is hard to find exact numbers on how many UO students have young children. However, since more and more non-traditional students are becoming involved in post-secondary education these days, it is safe to say that the share of student parents is increasing. The particular challenges of these students, whatever their number may be, are beyond what most undergraduates face. It is fortunate for the entire university community that UO offers resources to help them meet these challenges.
