The field is blooming ❀

This week, many members of the student parent community will come together at Generation Hope’s HOPE 2025 Conference in National Harbor, Maryland! The SPARK leadership team will be there, along with 11 of our amazing STAR fellows. Please come say hi if you’re there! We’ll also be hosting a session on Thursday, April 10th from 4:00-5:00 PM, where you can learn more about all that SPARK has to offer the student parent community, from research and resources to opportunities to connection, and more! Plus, we’ll have stickers!

It can feel hard to keep up with the rapidly evolving federal policy landscape. Fortunately, New America and Generation Hope have both put out policy analyses examining how recent federal changes may impact student parents. We recommend checking them out below, under Insights and Resources from the Field.

Ways to Get Involved

This month, we want to highlight a few ways to form connection and community with others working toward similar goals.

Join SPARK!

This one is easy! Even if you get this newsletter, you still might not be a member of SPARK. Membership is free and gets you access to additional resources on the SPARK website, such as a job board, funding opportunities, a member community, and a LinkedIn-based constellation group. We’ll have more member events and activities rolling out in the coming months!

Check Out the Student Parent Success Organization (SPOrg)

Education Design lab launched the SPOrg community of student parents, college professionals, and ecosystem partners who are working together to support parenting learners through connection and belonging.

Join Monthly Monday Calls

Marissa Weiss from UC Davis coordinates a casual national call the second Monday of each month at 10:00 AM Pacific/1:00 PM Eastern. Many attendees provide direct services or supports for student parents on campuses, but anyone can join! Interested folks can email Marissa for the Zoom info.

Join New America’s Parenting Student National Call

The last Thursday of each month, the New America team hosts a national call about parenting students at 2:00 PM Eastern. The New America team shares federal policy updates that impact student parents and work on campuses to support them and highlight reports, research, and practices to support this population. Fill out this short form to be added to our listserv and receive calendar invites.

Events and Deadlines

From Generation Hope: HOPE 2025 (conference)

Generation Hope's national conference is back! HOPE 2025 is coming to National Harbor, MD, from April 9-11, 2025, and you can register on site! Generation Hope is excited to invite you to join the premier national convening dedicated to student parent success. This is your chance to engage with a growing national movement to help families thrive. Check out the agenda. The whole SPARK team will be there too!

From the Association for Public Policy Research and Management: 2025 APPAM Fall Research Conference (conference)

APPAM’s 47th Annual Fall Research Conference will take place November 13-15 at the Hyatt Regency Seattle and Grand Hyatt Seattle in Seattle, WA. This year's conference theme will be Forging Collaborations for Transformative and Resilient Policy Solutions. Submissions are due April 23.

From the American Education Research Association: AERA 2025 Annual Meeting (conference) 

The American Education Research Association (AERA) will host its annual meeting April 23-27 themed Research, Remedy, and Repair: Toward Just Education Renewal in Denver, CO  Several presentations will focus on parenting students including Lori D. Rhea’s study entitled Implementation of Title IX to Remedy Barriers Experienced by Parenting Postsecondary Students.

From The California Alliance for Student Parent Success: Bring Your Kids to College Day on April 24 (in-person event) 

This initiative aims to highlight California’s 400,000 student parents and their children. Since April 2024, The Alliance has supported nine colleges in organizing a special day that increases student-parent visibility and introduces children—the next generation of learners—to higher education! Read about their past efforts in Inside Higher Ed or use their toolkit to planning YOUR OWN "Bring Your Kids to College Day"!

From The Hunt Institute: Postsecondary Pathways, Empowering Student Success, Part 2: Postsecondary Attainment for Single Mothers (webinar)

This webinar on April 24 at 2:00 PM Eastern will explore how ECMC Foundation’s Single Mother Student Success Initiative is increasing degree attainment by addressing the needs and priorities of single mothers through targeted support systems. Panelists will discuss strategies such as building institutional capacity, forming community partnerships, and raising public awareness to support these students. Join to learn how colleges, community organizations, and policymakers can collaborate to create equitable pathways for single mothers in higher education. You can find more of the Hunt Institute’s web events here.

From Education Design Lab: Designing for Growth, Agency + Belonging

Learn about the latest tools, best practices, and actionable strategies designed to support the success of student parents during this free webinar series hosted by Education Design Lab on April 30 at 2:00 PM Eastern. Check out their other webinars in the series at that same link!

From Michelson 20MM: 2025 Student Fellowship Cohort (paid student opportunity)

Michelson 20MM is looking for student leaders who are passionate about breaking barriers to join their 2025 Student Fellowship Cohort. Applications are due May 6.

From Cal Poly SLO: Registration opens for the Student Parent Summit in September (conference)

The California Student Parent Summit 2025 is a multi-day event that will convene policy experts, higher education practitioners, student parents, advocates, early childhood professionals, and community leaders from across the state. The Summit will provide a collaborative space to drive an agenda that pushes California’s higher education systems to equitably support and empower student parents with resources and services that propel them and their families toward multigenerational success. Register by July 15 for this event September 9-10. In San Luis Obispo, CA.

Insights and Resources from the Field

From New America: Student-Parent Blogs

• What States Can do to Help College Students Get Child Care Support by Iris Palmer

• Child Care Support Services Are an Overlooked Strategy for Re-Enrolling Adult Leaders by Sarah Nzau 

  • One Way Congress Can Support American Families and College Students with Children by Ewaoluwa Obatuase

From Generation Hope: 2025 National and State Policy and Advocacy Agenda (advocacy agenda)

Generation Hope creates a national and state policy and advocacy agenda each year, informed by student parents’ lived experiences, research, and their direct work with families. The 2025 agenda emphasizes higher education affordability and holistic support, child care access and affordability, and upward economic mobility. It includes recommendations on the national and state levels.

From Generation Hope: Executive Orders, Education Cuts, and the Fight for Student Parents’ Futures (web brief)

This briefing provides a fact-based analysis of key federal education programs at risk, dispels common myths, and offers guidance for student parents and institutions navigating policy shifts.

From New Mexico Student Parent Alliance: Family-Friendly Campus Guide

This guide provides colleges and universities with tools, strategies, and resources to develop family-friendly policies and services that support the unique needs of student parents.

From the Hunt Institute: Postsecondary Pathways | Empowering Student Success, Part 1 (webinar recording)

Wrap-around services in higher education provide comprehensive support to students by addressing not only their academic needs but also their personal, social, and financial challenges. These services aim to create a holistic environment where students can thrive, especially those facing unique obstacles such as single parenting, financial instability, or mental health concerns. By offering resources like counseling, childcare, academic advising, and financial literacy programs, institutions can foster a supportive community that enhances student success and retention. This approach not only empowers students to overcome barriers but also promotes a culture of inclusivity and care within the educational landscape.

From Institute for Higher Education Policy: The Case for IES Postsecondary Studies: What NPSAS and BPS Tell Us About Student Veterans, Parents, First-Generation Student Experiences (blog)

This post explores key questions about student veterans, parents, working and first-generation students that only federal education data can answer.

From National Women’s Law Center: The Executive Order to Dismantle the Department of Education and the Impact on Gender Justice at School (blog)

This blog post summarizes what an executive order is, what this one does, whether or not students still have federal education rights, and the impact on their rights.

From Chapin Hall: New Moms College Success Program Pilot (evaluation report)

The New Moms’ College Success Program is a pilot project created to increase degree attainment for young mothers in Chicago. Chapin Hall partnered with New Moms to evaluate the pilot project, relying primarily on qualitative methodology to understand how the program was implemented and how participants experience the program.

From the Council on Contemporary Families: Getting a Degree in a System Not Built for Them: Few Student Parents Get Help from Their Parents when Paying for College (research report)

In this summary of new research published in The Journal of Higher Education, the authors report out findings from a study of student parents at two public four-year universities. They found that fewer than 1 in 10 (9%) student parents at two public four-year universities got financial help from their own parents.

From EdTrust: How One Texas College Uses Effective Data-Driven Strategies to Support Student-Parents (blog)

Student-parents have complicated lives. The College of Health Care Professions is meeting them where they are.

From The California Alliance for Student Parent Success: Advocates Amplified Spotlight #1: On-Campus Child Care, A Game Changer for Parenting Students (blog) 

Jordan Calley, a student parent at San Francisco State University, shares the positive impact that finding a supportive community and accessible child care has had on her education and family.

From EducationCounsel: Executive Actions Chart (living document)

Keep track of all the executive actions with this handy, updated guide from EducationCounsel, organized by topic.

From the journals: Various academic articles related to student-parent issues (note that some require subscription access)

• Aspirational and Navigational Capital Contributing Factors of African American Father Students Postsecondary Programs Completion by Lequarius Ruttlen and Richard C. Zamora

• How Parenting Students Pay for College: Strategies and Sources of Support by Renee Ryberg and Arielle Kuperberg

Student Parents in the Media

From Inside Higer Ed: Parenting Student Supports Aid Retention, Credit Completion

An analysis of Austin Community College’s Parenting Students Project reveals the impact of financial aid and case management for parenting students’ success.

From NBC News: Pregnant and parenting students fall victim to lawsuit targeting LGBTQ rights

When a federal judge scrapped new Title IX rules for LGBTQ students, expanded protections for student parents were tossed out, too.

From Medium: The Elephant in Higher Education: Why Parenting Students’ Mental Health Is Still Being Ignored

STAR Fellow Sheron Gittens shares reflections as a mental health provider providing support for a student mother in medical school who was fighting burnout.

From SDSU News: Thriving as a student parent: Alexis’s story

Child development major Alexis Primo’s passion for supporting parents who feel lost or just need help stems from her own experiences.

From PR Newswire: College Promise Announces New Initiative to Study Programs that Support Student Fathers and Expand Economic Opportunities Across Six States

College Promise, the national movement dedicated to advancing educational and economic opportunities for all students, is proud to announce a new strategic initiative to support parenting students, with a special focus on student fathers.

Requests from Colleagues

Recruiting Higher Education Administrators for a Study on How Higher Education Supports Pregnant and Parenting Students

Lori Rhea, a doctoral candidate at the University of Houston, is recruiting for her dissertation study on how higher education supports pregnant and parenting students. Program administrators will be asked to participate in one virtual interview. Contact Lori Rhea at ldrhea@cougarnet.uh.edu or 281-513-7460 to sign up.

Recruiting Single Parents in North Carolina

Keinya Norman, a doctoral candidate at the Medical College of Wisconsin, is recruiting for her dissertation study. This study aims to understand single parents' experiences with food insecurity and how it influences their education and family. Eligible participants must be single parents aged 18 or older who are current college students or recent graduates from institutions in North Carolina. Participants will be asked to take part in a 45-minute virtual interview and a $35 appreciation gift card will be provided. To learn more call or email Keinya at knorman@mcw.edu or 919-423-3242. 

How Does Your College Serve Student Parents?

SPARK board member Theresa Anderson is running a short survey to understand where student parent services live on campus. Please take a few minutes to share how things are done on your campus! We’ll make the results available to the SPARK community.

Are you looking for ideas from across the field? Recruiting for a study? Seeking subjects to interview for a news article? Let us know and we’ll spread the word!

SPARK Collaborative Updates

Check us out at Hope 2025! We’re presenting at 4:00 PM Eastern on Thursday, April 10 with 11 STAR Fellows!

SPARK is going and growing. We are working on new tools, resources, and communities that will roll out in the coming months. Remember, SPARK currently offers:

• A community of “constellations” through LinkedIn.

  • Once you become a SPARK member and log in, find our current constellations here.

• Compilations of events, resources, jobs (members only), and funding opportunities (members only).

• A website of valuable tools, insights, and references for the field.

Not a member yet? Join now! (It’s free!)

Celebrations!

Maryland House Bill 0298 was recently heard by the state senate! This bill would require the Maryland Higher Education Commission to collect data regarding the parental status of students from each public institution of higher education in the state. Thanks to the tireless work of advocates, including leaders from Generation Hope and colleges across the state, Maryland may be soon following the path of Oregon, Illinois, California, Texas, and Minnesota in collecting data on students’ parenting status to promote their success!

In California, Higher Education Committee Chair Mike Fong has introduced a bill to bolster protections for pregnant and postpartum students—AB 1098. The bill would ban discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and parental status in higher ed, and put into California law critical protections for pregnant and parenting students such as pregnancy accommodations and parental leave. Right now, graduate students have these rights under state law, but not undergrads. To learn more, check out this factsheet on AB 1098 from The Pregnant Scholar.

What are you doing at your college or in your state? We’d love to elevate you in the newsletter! Email us at spark@studentparentaction.org!

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The Student-Parent Action through Research Knowledge (SPARK) Collaborative aims to collaboratively build evidence and make the case for policy change to support pregnant and parenting students so that they can meet their education and life goals. The SPARK Collaborative is stewarded by a working board with membership from the Urban Institute, The Pregnant Scholar, Child Trends, and Skills and Training in Action Research (STAR) Fellows.

Our goal is to share information from and with a broad audience. Inclusion in this newsletter does not imply endorsement by the SPARK Collaborative or any of its organizational partners.