Peer Institutions

Stanford University trails peer institutions in providing support for pregnant and parenting students and postdoc families. Included below are private and state-run higher educational institutions with comparable-sized graduate student populations. Many universities offer on-campus child care, subsidies for student parents, including adoption subsidies, as well as family resource centers with full time staff to offer pregnant students and student parents counseling and support. Stanford University offers limited assistance in a number of areas.

Doctoral Research Universities

DRAFT: This chart is preliminary and has not been checked for errors, however, through the work of a small team of volunteers, this data appears correct (160 points of data).

University of California-Berkeley

  • Parent Resource Center with 8 staff members that provides “information, child care referrals, problem solving counseling, and advocacy for the needs of student parents." The center is built from sustained efforts over 25 years of working closely with a "highly motivated population of undergraduate and graduate students who are engaged scholars, as well as devoted parents at UC Berkeley."
  • Parent Grant, up to $10,000/year for graduate student families
  • Back-up childcare services for student parents, up to 60 hours per year at highly subsidized rates
  • Student Parent Resource Guide providing overview of support services

University of Pennsylvania

  • Family Resource Center with 8 staff members where students can go for help and support. It includes a play space for children and lactation space, and a location for student parent gatherings.
  • Parent Grant, up to $6,700/year for need-based support for PhD students with children
  • Back-up childcare services for graduate students and postdocs, up to 5 days per year at highly subsidized rates.

University of Chicago

  • Family Resource Center, founded in 2006 and run by university staff, is "a welcoming space where families from the university community can access resources, information, and supportive programming and services. It is open 6-days a week.
  • Childcare stipend, $2,000 to PhD students whose family income <$50,000/year
  • Student Parent Resource Guide, 21 page document for student families.

Yale University

  • Health Fellowships to cover the full cost of Yale Health coverage for 2-3+ person families with dependent children under 26.
  • Parental Support & Relief Policy provides for male and female PhD students "parental relief from academic, research and teaching duties for at least 8 weeks from the birth or adoption of a child. Students continue to have full stipend
  • Backup childcare provides Yale community up to 40 hours of services at University subsidized rates of $7/hr for graduate students.

Columbia University (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)

  • Accommodation for Parental Responsibilities provides a 12-week period of accommodation to Arts and Sciences Ph.D. and D.M.A. students who become parents. Students in years 1 through 7 who give birth, adopt, or become legal guardians or foster parents, as well as students whose spouse or partner gives birth, can have responsibilities associated with their doctoral program suspended for twelve calendar weeks. During that time, students will retain any funding they were scheduled to receive.
  • Childcare subsidy, $2000/yr
  • Adoption assistance, up to $5000, 1 time limit

Cornell University

  • Childcare Grant Subsidy for undergrad & grad/professional students, for students with family income of <$67,000 can qualify for (1) infant/toddler/preschool award ($3,900), (2) school-age award ($2,600), and (3) summer camp for school-age child(ren) ($500). Maximum award, $5000 per household.
  • Students with Families Advisory Committee "brings together staff, faculty and students from different units. The goal of this committee is to approach student families holistically, determine priorities, and develop new partnerships to enhance programming efforts. This group provides direction and makes University recommendations to what additional needs our families have. In addition, this committee helps with communication so that key offices are informed of resources available to partners and students with children to help with dissemination of information."

University of Washington

  • Childcare Assistance Program "is designed to assist UW Seattle Campus students in covering the costs of licensed childcare for their children (ages birth – 12 years old)." "We cover 80% of child care costs up to a monthly maximum cost of $1,228. (maximum amount of grant is $982 per month).
  • Student Parent Resource Center "provides resources and financial support to students with children to reduce the 2nd primary barrier to attaining a higher education."

University of California System

*Doctoral Research Universities

*UC Berkeley: https://grad.berkeley.edu/financial/families/

*UC Davis: https://hr.ucdavis.edu/departments/worklife-wellness/student-parent/ucd-funding (funding)

*UC Irvine: https://childcare.uci.edu/rates.php subsidized rates

*UC Los Angeles: https://www.swd.ucla.edu/Resources-Content/Early-Education-Childcare

Graduate Students may qualify for the Graduate Division's Childcare Reimbursement Program, which reimburses qualified graduate students (usually who are TAs or GAs) up to $900 in childcare costs each quarter (or $1,350 each semester).

Here's where you can find more info and to see if you qualify: Grad Student Childcare Reimburse Info

UC Merced: https://graduatedivision.ucmerced.edu/node/223

Child Care

Reimbursement

TAs - Under the current ASE contract, child care reimbursement has been extended to qualified dependents who are age 12 or under on July 1, 2015.

GSRs - Childcare grants are funded by the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost as part of the agreement to provide equivalent reimbursement for child care received by Teaching Assistants.

Care

UC Merced Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) - The ECEC provides quality program for parents of young children working at UCM and community members of Merced. The Center provides developmentally appropriate activities and environments for children from infant to Pre-Kindergarten (6 weeks - 5 years).

​Subsidy for low-income UC Merced students and staff is a priority for the Center. Student families receive a minimum of 10% reduction on ECEC tuition.

*UC Riverside:

https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2018/11/06/grant-will-cover-childcare-costs-student-parents-ucr

*UC San Diego:

https://students.ucsd.edu/well-being/wellness-resources/student-parents/child-care.html (not specific to student parents)

*UC Santa Barbara: http://wgse.sa.ucsb.edu/nontrad/childcare (childcare grants)

*UC Santa Cruz: https://childcare.ucsc.edu/rates/index.html

California State Universities

Updated March 3, 2019. Here are links to Cal State Universities regarding their support for student parents. Nearly all of 23 campuses provide priority childcare spaces to student parents, and/or subsidized costs for childcare.

CSU Bakerfield: http://www.csub.edu/childrenscenter/

The CSUB Children’s Center provides quality childcare programs for Student-Parents, Faculty, Staff and the Bakersfield Community. Children ages 6 months through 5 years of age (who are not attending kindergarten) are eligible for admission. Priority for enrollment is given to children of CSUB Students, Faculty, and Staff. Half-day and full-day programs are available, but are dependant of the approval of the Director.

CSU Channel Islands: https://www.csuci.edu/caregivers/background.htm (assessment done, low enrollment)

CSU Chico: https://www.csuchico.edu/chld/lab/campus-child-care-issues.shtml

The ASCDL currently operates as a partnership between the Associated Students organization and the university academic Child Development program. This joint sponsorship means that this program serves multiple groups or constituencies. The two primary groups that use the ASCDL are university students who are parents and use the ASCDL services to provide child care for their child while they are in class, and university students who have classes with assignments based at the ASCDL.

CSU Dominguez Hill: https://www.csudh.edu/class-schedule/sp18/student-support-services/child-development-center-cdc

Child Development Center (CDC) provides affordable, dependable and convenient childcare for CSUDH students, faculty and staff. The CDC provides developmentally appropriate services and discounted rates to qualified students.

CSU East Bay: https://thepioneeronline.com/4928/campus/on-campus-daycare-terminated/ (Ended)

CSU Fresno: Fresno State Programs for Children, Inc. provides services to the children of the California State University, Fresno student body and to a limited extent, faculty, staff, and the larger community.

CSU Fullerton: https://asi.fullerton.edu/childrens-center The Associated Students, CSUF, Inc. recognizes that many of the people who wish to attend the University are parents of young children, and that in order to attend classes these people must arrange for affordable, quality child care. Therefore, the CSUF Children’s Center has been established and operated, with Associated Student Inc. funds, for the purpose of making the educational opportunities at the University equally accessible to these parents of young children, regardless of sex, race, or financial status.

CSU Humboldt: https://childrencenter.humboldt.edu/ The HSU Children's Center provides affordable high quality child care and early education programs in support of HSU students, staff & faculty families.

CSU Long Beach: https://web.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/catalog/current/campus_services/child_development_center.html

The Isabel Patterson Child Development Center (IPCDC) serves as a family support service for CSULB students by offering early care and education programs for children from six months through second grade. The IPCDC enables student parents to attend classes and is dedicated to ensuring that no student parent is denied access to higher education because of a lack of affordable campus childcare. Enrollment priority is given to CSULB students, and then opened to faculty and staff, CSULB alumni, and the community as space allows.

CSU LA: http://www.calstatela.edu/abacc/about-us It is the mission of the Children's Center to provide enriched developmental childcare services for Cal State L.A. student-parents, faculty, staff and the local community.

CSU Maritime: (82% male)

CSU Monterey Bay: https://csumb.edu/studentlife/child-care-center

CSU Northridge: https://www.csun.edu/as/childrens-center

CSU Pomona: https://asi.cpp.edu/childrens-center/ The Children’s Center strives to assist Cal Poly Pomona student-parents, faculty, staff, alumni and the community with high quality, convenient and affordable preschool services and an enrichment program for school-age children, in a safe, clean and educational environment.

CSU Sacramento: http://www.asi.csus.edu/programs/childrens-center/

The ASI Children’s Center serves as a family support service for Sacramento State students by providing child care programming. Enrollment priority is given to Sac State students, and then opened to the rest of the Sac State community.

CSU San Bernadino: https://csbs.csusb.edu/ccampis

CSU San Diego: https://childcare.sdsu.edu/child.php?sub=5

CSU San Francisco: http://asi.sfsu.edu/asprograms/ecec/

Our primary goal is to assist student parents attain their educational goals by providing appropriate care for their young children in a high-quality, convenient and affordable educational setting.

San Jose State: http://www.sjsu.edu/cfd/career-planning/work-life-balance/family-matters/WLBChildcare/index.html

The Child Development Center serves students first and children of faculty and staff will be accepted on a space available basis.

CalPoly-SLO: http://www.asi.calpoly.edu/childrens_center

Our mission is to provide quality early care and education services to Cal Poly students, faculty and staff. The ASI Children's Center is partially funded by ASI fees, which are paid by Cal Poly students. Therefore student parents have first priority for enrollment. Additionally, applications are accepted from faculty, staff, alumni and community members; however, alumni and community members have non-priority status.

CSU San Marcos: https://www.csusm.edu/title9/pregnant.html (Non-specific to students for priority enrollment in childcare center).

CSU Sonoma: https://web.sonoma.edu/tcs/admission.html

Student families may be subsidized or non-subsidized. To be eligible for subsidized services, you must be a student at SSU (regularly matriculated) and be income eligible. In addition, children of students referred because the child is at risk of abuse or neglect can be eligible for subsidized services. Student families who are not eligible for subsidized services pay reduced student fees.

CSU Stanislaus: https://www.csustan.edu/child-development-center/enrollment-information

Enrollment priorities go to the campus community (faculty, staff, students) and then the surrounding community.