New Parent Basic Needs Package
Support student parents with the essentials they need for a healthy start, helping reduce barriers and empowering them to continue their education.
About the Campaign 🍼
This project would establish a “new parent” basic-needs package (diaper bag, wipes, diapers, bottle set and car seat) that could be donated to new student parents (students who are welcoming their first child or who demonstrate financial need to support a new child). This would ensure that the emergency requests specifically for these items are addressed directly, and it provides an opportunity to include educational information about newborn car seat safety, safe sleep, community resources (milk works, diaper bank, etc.) and campus support (Title IX protection, lactation rooms, campus childcare, etc.). This is also a great recruiting and retention tool to demonstrate the institution's commitment to supporting nontraditional students.
How does this impact students?
Over the last year, the Students with Children initiative supported nearly 100 students and more than 135 of their children. Trying to balance the demands of being a student and being a parent can be incredibly challenging, especially when welcoming your first child and navigating the complexities of life with a newborn. The students we have supported have stated their strong desire to continue pursuing their educational goals but often have to weigh the realities of that against the high startup costs of supporting a baby or child.
Why should you support this project?
Being a student with a child or children is a hidden population on campus that is often overlooked and poorly supported. The higher education system is not set up for these students to be inherently successful without significant family/communal and financial support. As students embark on the new journey of becoming parents, we want to make sure they are supported in their goals to continue their education and have the resources they need to succeed in parenting, too. This also opens up the opportunity to showcase our commitment to support nontraditional students and could be a strong recruiting tool as the fastest growing population of college-going individuals in the state of Nebraska is nontraditional learners.