The Jed Foundation (JED) recently announced a mental health collaborative designed to enable community colleges to better support students who are parents. The JED Campus Collaborative for Student Parents builds on Improving Mental Health of Student Parents: A Framework For Higher Education, a set of recommendations developed by JED and Ascend at the Aspen Institute.
Student parents earn grades on par, but are less likely to complete their degrees. At least three in 10 student parents report symptoms of depression and/or anxiety disorders, while 40% report being unaware of mental health information provided by their schools. Among student parents, 38% considered dropping out of school, compared to 25% of nonparents.
This project will offer technical assistance to help schools implement strategies from the recommendations, with the goal of enhancing mental health and well-being of students who are parents. Through a peer community approach, participating colleges will collaborate to share best practices, address barriers, and create meaningful systems-level interventions at their respective institutions.
Learn more about this project and read the entire press release here.