Resources for Pregnant Women Single Mothers And Parenting Students On University Campuses in Canada

Transcription

1 The deveber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research H Resources for Pregnant Women Single Mothers And Parenting Students On University Campuses in Canada The deveber Institute s nationwide study of resources available to pregnant and parenting students on university campuses in Canada August 2010 Prepared and researched by Genevieve Bonomi, BA Political Science and Geography Devon Cassidy who started the surveys, Elizabeth Ring Cassidy who contributed insight and guidance, Elaine Zettel who oversaw and edited this project. Abstract Many people believe that Universities are institutions of higher learning which exist to educate. However, universities over time have also become communities of learning and campus life. In Canada today, a student s experience of campus life is so closely associated with

2 1 their academic life that the entire experience is often simply known as one s university career. Student life involves living on campus, attending classes, eating on campus, socializing on campus, campus sports and other university supported events. The university campus has become the bubble that represents almost every aspect of life for students attending the school and it is important that this community is able to meet the needs of all its members. One group of people whose needs are often dismissed or ignored are pregnant and parenting students on university campuses. This group is often small and is easily overlooked. In Canada there are 86 universities for a population of approximately 33 million people. The average age of university students is between 18 and 24, and students usually attend university directly after completing high school. Statistics Canada shows that the majority (80%) of young people report having become sexually active by the age of 20 i and currently 33% of Canadian women have their first child before turning 25 ii. Women deserve to have the same opportunities for education regardless of pregnancy or having young children. The research that the deveber Institute of Bioethics and Social Research has conducted on resources available for pregnant women and young mothers on university campuses across Canada has shed light on the overall lack of assistance these women are receiving. The following report will share the findings of the research as well as interpret the results. Study Objective To discover what campus resources were available to pregnant or parenting students attending university in Canada. Since this study was a benchmark endeavour, its purpose was to catalogue the available resources of each university as well as compare different campuses across the country. The study was conducted in order to better understand what is available to pregnant and parenting students and to determine if the assistance available provides adequate support to those who need it. Method The method used was cross-sectional analysis which surveyed every university in Canada based on six criteria: Education, Housing, Child Care, Health Care, Financial Aid and overall child friendliness of the campus. Each criterion included relevant questions that inquired about services or assistance that would be needed by pregnant or parenting students who attended the school. A copy of the survey can be found in Appendix B. The universities were each contacted using and telephone communication compounded with information found on university websites. The information was stored in data sheets according to the questions asked and was categorised as a yes, no or unsure. The unsure category was necessary because many of the universities contacted were unable to answer particular questions that they were given. Canadian colleges were not included in this particular study. Conclusions It was found that most Canadian universities were able to fill some criteria but most universities fell short of having the necessary resources needed for parenting students to feel welcome and supported in their university environment. The most difficult aspect of this study was finding the answers to simple questions. Since all of the different criteria are dealt with by different facilities or administrations it would be extremely challenging and time consuming for a parenting student to find answers. Furthermore some areas of concern such as child friendliness of campuses would not have a facility associated with it. The major finding of this research study was that the majority of universities ignore the needs of pregnant women or parenting students and discourage women from having children while attaining an education. At a time when the number of young females often outstrips the number of young males in universities in Canada, women should be given the option of having an education and family instead of pressuring parenting students to make a choice between the two.

3 2 How do Canadian universities address the needs of pregnant or parenting students seeking a post secondary education? Most women feel that if they become pregnant while attending a post-secondary school, they cannot simultaneously complete their education and proceed with the pregnancy. One way to help pregnant women and other parenting students deal with this dilemma is to assess what resources are available to this specific group of students. When pregnant and parenting students cannot find campus resources to assist them, the message is they perceive is negative; your time here is over. The deveber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research compiled a survey to assess the degree to which Canadian university campuses are supportive of pregnant or parenting students. The survey focussed on six categories: education, housing, child care, health care, child-friendly campus and financial aid. iii The survey was completed for each of the 86 registered Canadian universities and each university was asked the same set of questions. Overall, the survey conducted by the Institute found that many of the resources pregnant or parenting students needed were lacking on university campuses. The general trend showed not only a lack of resources but also a general ignorance amongst staff and administrators as to which resources were available and how students can gain access to them. This trend was most apparent with the questions regarding the child friendliness of the campus or financial aid available for parenting students. With some questions, such as housing, or flexibility of class times the university staff were well prepared and helpful in their answers. This can be attributed to the fact that the universities have established offices for the registrar and housing services which primarily concern themselves with these issues and where answers to these questions can readily be found. Unfortunately, for questions geared towards parenting students, there was no central office or expert to deal with these issues. Child care, babysitter referral services, financial aid for parents, health care and other parenting resources were either controlled by a number of different facilities or did not exist at all. Without the support of a central office 1, information regarding resources became difficult to find or were overlooked all together. For example, common difficulty that arose time and time again during the research was the question regarding baby change tables in campus restrooms. This question cannot be directed to one department (and often even after being transferred through many departments even physical plant or maintenance), and so no definitive answer could be give; no one could confidently say whether there were or were not baby change tables available anywhere on campus. The lack of a central resource centre on campus for pregnant or parenting students makes it very difficult for a person in need of such information to know what resources are even available. Furthermore, many university representatives demonstrated a serious lack of concern for the struggles of young mothers on their campus face, and did not strive to make their difficulties any easier. For instance, baby change tables are a very inexpensive way to show practical support to parenting students on campus yet most universities failed to even provide this basic service to their students. In the following sections, a summary is given based on the 1 Such an office would have a representative responsible for knowing all resources available on that particular university campus. This person or office would also have a direct phone line and website to increase accessibility and would have a thorough knowledge of local assistance programs, government subsidies available, bursaries and scholarships available at that school, as well as all information pertaining to child care co ops, daycare, distance studies and evening classes as well as the overall child friendliness of the campus. For example the University of Toronto s Family Care Office which acts as a central hub for students provides information to students about all of the resources both on and off campus that would help pregnant women and parenting students.

4 3 answers universities gave to the questions asked in the survey conducted. From the survey results, a general lack of resources for parenting students becomes obvious as well as an apparent overall lack of knowledge or interest about such services amongst university staff. Section One: Education 1. Does the university offer flexible class times such as evenings or weekends? 79 yes or 91% 6 no or 7 % 1 not clear or 1% Flexible class times are extremely important for all students and especially for students who have children or who are pregnant. Since work schedules are often not flexible, parenting students would need classes to be available in the evenings or on weekends in order to more easily complete their degrees. Also if parenting students are stay at home moms or dads and are depending on other friends or family members to babysit children during their classes, then once again having classes available outside of regular work-time hours is extremely important. The deveber Institute found that the proportion of schools in Canada with evening or weekend classes is very high. For this reason flexible class times can be viewed as one of the most helpful resources available to pregnant or parenting students in Canada today. According to the deveber Institute`s research, this is also the most widely available resource in the country by a wide margin. 2. Does the university offer distance courses via cable or internet? 10 yes via cable or 9% 64 yes via internet or 74% 20 none whatsoever or 23% Distance education is offered at 75% of Canadian universities making it the second most available resource for pregnant women or single mothers in school. Furthermore, the advantage of distance of studies for parenting students is that one does not need to be anywhere near the school that they are attending. Therefore even if there were no schools offering distance education in southern Manitoba, a parenting student could just as easily become a distance studies student at any university across the country. Also distance education via internet or cable allows parenting or pregnant students to complete their studies whenever their schedules allow. This allows parents who work to have the ultimate in flexibility between work, school and family life. Distance studies also helps single parents and pregnant women save money on transportation as well as daycare costs.

5 4 Education Section Two: Housing 1. Is there on-campus housing available for parenting students? 15 yes or 17% 68 no or 79% 3 unclear or 4% Housing or residency is one of the biggest hurdles for students who attend university outside of their hometown. For parenting students, single parents or pregnant women, housing becomes even more important because the student is not only looking out for their own welfare but also for the welfare of their children. On-campus housing is very important on university campuses because it encourages parents to attend the school. On-campus housing is also beneficial over off-campus housing because it enables parents to save money on transportation to school and also, due to the proximity of the housing to the classroom, parenting students can spend time between classes at home with their children. 2. If so is there a priority placement for single parents? 4 yes or 5% 74 no or 87% 7 not clear or 8% Very few universities in Canada offered housing for families and even fewer had a priority in these residences for single parents. If a parenting student is struggling financially to support themselves and their child while attaining a university education (even with a spouse to help them) it would be helpful if single parents were given a priority in on-campus housing facilities. On-campus residences are provided at universities for students without children and are

6 5 generally available for students in any year. These resources should be extended to parenting students and especially to those in exceptional need such as single mothers. 3. Does Residential Services assist students with finding affordable off campus housing? 31 yes or 36% 52 no or 60.5% 3 unclear or 3.5% Understandably not all universities have the space or the funds to open an on-campus residence for parenting students even if they wished to. Residential Services should be called upon to assist students who are looking for affordable off-campus housing, and should be especially helpful to those who have families or who are single parents. The reason why residential services is so important to families and parenting students looking for affordable offcampus housing is because this group of students are going to have different criteria in the homes they wish to rent. For instance the average unmarried or childless undergraduate will share housing with roommates of similar status. Families cannot have roommates like these and parenting students or students with families will be looking specifically for their own apartments or for single family dwellings. This criteria makes finding affordable off-campus housing much more difficult. For this reason the deveber Institute s survey suggests that residential services assist students with finding affordable off-campus housing. Housing

7 6 Section Three: Child Care 1. Does the university offer on-campus daycare? 51 Yes or 60% 31 No or 36.5% 3 unclear or 3.5% On campus daycare is one of the most convenient and most effective ways to show parenting students and single mothers that the university is there to help them in their efforts. Overall daycares on university campuses did not display a large difference in cost to those that were offcampus. The convenience of a centre on campus is very important to parenting students. On campus day cares are very important because of the variation in school schedules that parenting students experience. 2. Is the centre open to all staff, administration and students? 51 yes or 100% 0 No 0 unclear All university daycares were open to staff, administration, faculty and students. Some universities held priority for students above staff and faculty. Many universities only offered spaces in the child care centre to students, faculty or staff of the university, disallowing those with no university affiliation to send their children to the centre. 3. What is the cost of this child care centre? FIG.1 Infant Toddler Preschool Kindergarten P.E.I. No data No data No data No data Newfoundland $ $ $ $ Nova Scotia $ $ $ $ New Brunswick NO DATA $ $ $ Quebec $ $ $ $ Ontario $ $ $ $ Manitoba $ $ $ $ Saskatchewan NO DATA $ $ $ Alberta $ $ $ $ British Columbia $ $ $ $

8 4. What are the hours of the centre? FIG. 2 NFLD1 Mon-Fri 7:00-5:00 ON17 Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm NS1 NONE ON18 NONE NS2 NONE ON19 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30 NS3 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 ON20 NONE NS4 Mon-Fri 7:00-5:00 ON21 NONE NS5 NONE ON22 NONE NS6 Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 ON23 NONE NS7 Mon-Fri no data ON24 Mon-Fri 8am-6pm NS8 Mon-Fri no data ON25 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 6pm PEI1 Mon-Fri 7:00-5:00 ON26 NONE NB1 Mon-Fri 7:30-6:00 ON27 NONE NB2 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 ON28 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm NB3 NONE ON29 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm NB4 NONE ON30 NONE PQ1 NONE ON31 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 10pm PQ2 NONE ON32 Mon-Fri 8am - 6pm PQ3 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 MB1 Mon-Fri 7:45-5:30 7

9 8 PQ4 NONE MB2 NONE PQ5 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 MB3 PQ6 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 MB4 Mon-Fri 7:45-6pm PQ7 Mon-Fri 8:00-6:00 MB5 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 PQ8 Mon-Fri 8:30-6:15 SK1 NONE PQ9 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 SK2 NONE PQ10 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 SK3 NONE PQ11 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 SK4 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm PQ12 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 SK5 Mon-Fri 7:45am - 5:30pm ON1 NONE SK6 NONE ON2 NONE AB1 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm ON3 Mon-Fri 7:30 am - 6 pm AB2 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm ON4 Mon-Fri 8am - 5:45 pm AB3 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm ON5 NONE AB4 NONE ON6 Mon-Fri 7:30am- 5:30pm AB5 NONE ON7 NONE AB6 plans are underway ON8 NONE BC1 Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm ON9 Mon-Fri Mon - Thurs: 7:30-10 BC2 NONE Friday 7:30-5:45 ON10 Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 BC3 NONE ON11 Mon-Fri 7am - 6pm BC4 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm ON12 NONE BC5 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:15pm ON13 NONE BC6 NONE ON14 Mon-Fri 6:30am - BC7 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm 6:30pm ON15 Mon-Fri 7am - 5:30pm BC8 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm ON16 Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:15pm BC9 NONE The average Canadian on-campus daycare was open from Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm. The average number of hours that these daycare`s were open was hours. 5. Is there a babysitter referral service available through the university? 6 yes or 7% 69 no or 80% 11 unclear or 13% Babysitters are one resource that every parent uses. Unfortunately this resource is extremely difficult to find. Even outside of the university community, parents struggle to find affordable and capable babysitters. The need for babysitters for parenting students is even greater than those parents who are not students because almost every on-campus daycare in Canada closes by 5 or 6pm. For parents who work days and rely on evening or weekend classes to achieve their degree, babysitters are the only way to juggle school, work and family. A babysitter referral service would provide parents with a choice of numerous safe, capable and reliable babysitters. A babysitter referral service would also provide other university students with an opportunity for part time work and would be exceptionally useful to those students who have extracurricular

10 9 requirements to fulfill for courses such as psychology, sociology, childhood and social institutions and other behavioural sciences. 6. Is there care available for a sick child? 4 yes or 8% 45 no or 88% 2 unclear or 4% Since students do not get any time off for sick days, it is important that there is somewhere for the children to get care while they are in school, even if their child is sick. Care for a sick child is offered in four universities in Canada, but is a very uncommon service both in offcampus and on-campus daycare centres. Care for a sick child would be very convenient for parenting students, especially single parents who do not have the assistance of a spouse when their child is ill. Since the majority of universities in Canada have on-campus health care centres, perhaps on-campus day care could work together with student health services to have a place where a sick child could spend their day while their parents are at work or in school. This would likely not be used very often, but would be extremely helpful to parenting students and university staff. 7. Is there space on campus to start a child care co-op? 11 yes or 13% 30 no or 35% 45 not clear or 52% A child care co-operative is an organization of parents and volunteers who watch one another s children according to each person s perspective schedule. For example if one group of parents has class between 12 and 4pm and another group of parents has evening class between 7pm and 10pm, the two groups would exchange babysitting duties during their classes. Child care co-ops are very useful on campuses because many parents cannot afford daycare and may not need all-day care for their children. Co-ops are also good ways for parenting students and staff at universities to meet one another and collaborate. On-campus child care co-op s also provide a supportive community of parents who can network with one another and assist one another in their university career. On-campus Child Care

11 10 Section Four: Health Care 1. Is there a health care clinic on campus? 47 Yes 22 No 17 Not Clear 2. Does the clinic offer pregnancy testing? 42 Yes Almost every university that offered on-campus health care also offered pregnancy testing on campus or with an affiliate college. The large majority of these tests were covered in the student health plan, but a few universities required students to pay a small fee for the tests. Also some universities had health plans that would cover the cost of pregnancy tests in an off-campus clinic if they were not available directly on campus. 3. Does the clinic refer pregnant women to abortion clinics? 42 Yes Pregnant women do not need a referral from a doctor to go to an abortion clinic. 4. Does the clinic refer pregnant women to pregnancy care clinics? 7 Yes 3 No In the majority of campus health clinics, the pregnant woman s doctor would also act as her primary prenatal coach and for this reason most pregnant women were not referred to outside pregnancy care clinics. Health Care

12 11 Section Five: Child Friendly Campus 1. Is the campus accessible for students in wheelchairs and for parents with strollers? 86 yes or 100% 0 No 0 unclear In 2006 the federal government issued a law that all public buildings had to be wheelchair accessible. Universities fall into the category of public buildings since they receive federal funding and therefore all universities in Canada are completely or mostly wheelchair accessible, making them accessible for parents with strollers. 2. Are there baby change tables available in the restrooms on campus? 33 yes or 52% 15 no or 23% 16 not clear or 25% Baby change tables are the most inexpensive and easily implemented resource in the survey. Nevertheless the number of universities that did not even have one baby change table available was 23%. The lack of this resource cannot be blamed on a lack of funds or a lack of space since baby change tables are so inexpensive and space effective. An even more astounding discovery in our research was the number of universities which were not clear on whether or not they had a baby change table on campus. 1 out of every 4 universities asked told researchers that they were unsure as to whether or not the university had even one baby change table anywhere on campus. Furthermore, many of the universities that responded yes to having baby change tables in restrooms had only one available over an entire campus and it would be in a woman s washroom. This puts dads with babies on campus in an even more difficult position to find a place to change their child s diaper. Child Friendly Campus

13 12 Section Six: Financial Aid 1. Does the university have loans or scholarships specifically for parenting students? 16 Yes or 30% 31 No or 59% 6 Not clear or 11% Financing is a major factor when one is considering post secondary school. It is understandable that single parenting would find finances an even larger factor when making their decisions. They would also have to consider the extra costs of child care, cost of tuition and books and cost of living are all very expensive and to couple this with a minimum wage earning income and no financial support from the university, it is next to impossible for parenting students and especially single parents to afford school. 2. Are parenting students made aware of the loans or scholarships available to them? 14 Yes or 27% 31 No or 60% 7 Not clear or 13% The majority of universities did not offer loans or scholarships for parenting students. Many universities referred students to provincial aid programs such as OSAP but could not offer any assistance directly. Many financial aid offices referred parenting students to their websites to check for themselves the availability of any loans, scholarships or bursaries. For most universities, the list of these awards is hundreds if not thousands of separate awards, bursaries and scholarships with separate criteria. For a financial aid office worker to refer a needy student to an online database with hundreds of scholarships or loans without even being sure that any assistance for parenting students was even available, is a grand misconduct on the part of university financial services. Students who take the time to seek help should be given assistance by the trained office workers whose soul purpose is to assist students. 3. Are students allowed to take academic leave for a semester? 35 Yes or 67% 6 No or 11% 11 Not clear or 21% Academic leave was one area where each university had a separate policy. Most of the universities that offered academic leave required students to apply to the academic dean with the reason for their leave and would need to be granted approval before they could take leave. Further stipulations such as the program the student is in and the year of study also affected the availability of leave.

14 13 Financial Aid Appendix A PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND P.E.I.1 NEWFOUNDLAND NFLD1 NOVA SCOTIA NS1 NS2 NS3 NS4 NS5 NS6 NS7 NS8 NEW BRUNSWICK NB1 NB2 NB3 NB4 QUEBEC PQ1 PQ2 PQ3 PQ4 University of Prince Edward Island Memorial University Acadia University Nova Scotia College of Art and Drama St. Francis Xavier University St. Mary`s University University of Kings College Dalhousie University University College of Cape Breton Mount St. Vincent University UNBC Universite de Moncton St. Thomas University Mount Allison University University of Quebec in Trois Riveres University of Quebec in Temiscamingue University of Quebec in Rimouski University of Quebec in Outaoais

15 14 PQ5 PQ6 PQ7 PQ8 PQ9 PQ10 PQ11 PQ12 ON1 ON2 ON3 ON4 ON5 ON6 ON7 ON8 ON9 ON10 ON11 ON12 ON13 ON14 ON15 ON16 ON17 ON18 ON19 ON20 ON21 ON22 ON23 ON24 ON25 ON26 ON27 ON28 ON29 ON30 ON31 ON32 MB1 ONTARIO MANITOBA University of Quebec in Chicoutimi Bishops University Concordia University Ecole Polytechnique McGill University Sherbrooke University Universite de Montreal Universite de Quebec a Montreal Algoma University Brescia University College at the University of Western Ontario Brock University Carleton University Dominican College of Philosophy and Theology University of Guelph Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario King`s University College at the University of Western Ontario Lakehead University Laurentian University of Sudbury McMaster University Nipissing University Ontario College of Art and Design University of Ontario Institute of Technology University of Ottawa Queen`s University at Kingston Redeemer University College Royal Military College of Canada Ryerson University St. Paul University St. Jerome s University at the University of Waterloo University of St. Michael s College at the University of Toronto University of Sudbury University of Toronto Trent University University of Trinity College Victoria University at the University of Toronto University of Waterloo University of Western Ontario Wilfred Laurier University University of Windsor York University Brandon University

16 15 MB2 MB3 MB4 MB5 SK1 SK2 SK3 SK4 SK5 SK6 AB1 AB2 AB3 AB4 AB5 AB6 BC1 BC2 Bc3 BC4 BC5 BC6 BC7 BC8 BC9 BC10 BC11 SASKATCHEWAN ALBERTA BRITISH COLUMBIA Canadian Mennonite University College Universitare de Saint-Boniface University of Manitoba University of Winnipeg Campion College at the University of Regina First Nations University at the University of Regina Luther University at the University of Regina University of Regina University of Saskatchewan St. Thomas Moore College at the University of Saskatchewan University of Alberta Athabasca University University of Calgary Concordia University The King s University College University of Lethbridge University of British Columbia Emily Carr University of Art and Design University of the Fraser Valley Kwantlen Polytechnic University University of Northern British Columbia Royal Roads University Simon Fraser University Thompson Rivers University Trinity Western University Vancouver Island University University of Victoria Appendix B Pregnancy Resources Survey (Adapted from Feminists for Life University: City: Prov: Department: Contact Contact Phone: Department: Contact Contact Phone: Education: 1. Does the university offer flexible class times (evenings, weekends, etc.)?

17 16 2. Does the university offer classes via cable television? 3. Does the university offer classes via the Internet? 4. What accommodations are provided for pregnant or parenting students? Housing: 1. Is on campus housing available for parents and children? 2. Will Residential Services assist with affordable off campus housing? 3. Do single parents receive preferential placement in residence? Child Care: 1. Does the college offer on campus day care? a) If yes, is it open to: undergraduate students faculty b) What is the weekly cost? graduate students administration and staff c) Are student discounts available? Yes No d) Are subsidies available? Yes No e) What days and hours is the centre open?. f) Is care for a sick child available? 2. Does the university offer a babysitter referral service? a) If yes, are paid babysitters offered? Yes No b) Are volunteer babysitters offered? Yes No 3. Is space available to start a child care co op? Health Care: 1. Where are pregnancy tests offered on campus? 2. Does the campus health clinic refer pregnant women to: a) Abortion clinics? Yes No b) Pregnancy care clinics? Yes No

18 17 3. If pregnancy tests are offered elsewhere on campus, do those centers refer pregnant women to: a) Abortion clinics? Yes No b) Pregnancy care clinics? Yes No Child Friendly Campus: 1. Is the campus barrier free to accommodate the disabled in wheelchairs and parents using strollers? 2. Are there changing stations available in restrooms? Financial Aid: 1. Are there loans or scholarships available specifically for parenting students? 2. Are students with children made aware of loans and scholarships available to them? 3. Are students able to take an academic leave for a semester? Appendix C Irregularities or Variances in Respondent Universities The research for this study was completed by calling and ing Canadian Universities and referencing their websites to gain answers to the questions listed above. Sec. 1 Education In this section the total number of resources adds up to more than the total number of universities in Canada, which is 86. The reason for this difference is because some universities have both distance education via internet and via cable television, and so are counted in both categories. Sec. 2 Housing ON5 - housing is only provided for male students at the Dominican community of Ottawa. ON13 - no residence available whatsoever ON17 - on campus housing for married couples/ married with children ON29 - family housing is slightly off campus but does exist AB1 - family housing is slightly off campus but does exist AB3 - family housing bursary available Sec. 3 Child Care ON6 - although the university itself does not offer a babysitter referral services, student clubs help with this

19 18 ON14 - accepts special needs children and has specialized staff for their needs ON24 - has numerous on campus day cares and also many child care co-ops are already in existence ON32 - child care discounts for T.A.'s (teaching assistants) only MB - priority for undergrad students over staff, faculty and graduate students SK4 - priority to students over staff and faculty AB6 - plans for a daycare centre are underway and is scheduled to be complete for 2010 Sec. 3.1 Babysitter Referral Service ON6 - student clubs help with babysitter referrals The following were the only universities in Canada to provide a babysitter referral service: ON24, ON28, ON29, ON31 and BC1 Sec. 3.2 Hours of Child Care Centres ON9 and ON31 are both open until 10pm. Sec. 3.3 Cost of Child Care All universities in Quebec have the same rate because of a provincial law regulating the cost of childcare and using taxpayer dollars to offset the amount parents pay. This rate is in effect both in public and university run daycare centres. MB1 - with subsidy = 2$ per day = 40 dollars per month. Flexible billing available. Sec. 3.4 Care for a Sick Child AB2, MB4, ON24 and ON29 were the only universities in Canada to offer care for a sick child in their on-campus day care centres. Sec. 4 Health Care ON4 - link to planned parenthood Ottawa ON15 - pregnancy tests are given but not insured so they cost 10 dollars BC7 - Posts a warning against Birthright and BC Prolife groups saying that they misconstrue facts and pressure women NS6 - not covered, costs 15$ BC8 - Not offered directly on campus but free for students at downtown health centre. Sec. 5 Child Friendly Campus ON 23 - Offered at Laurentian but not at Sudbury AB3 - Woman has put in request for them because of call Sec. 6 Financial Aid PQ9 Grad students may take paternity/ maternity leave for up to one year

20 19 ON3 leave only with authorization from doctor or lawyer etc. ON8 parenting scholarship only available for mature students ON14 bursaries available for parenting students ON31 scholarships only available for graduate students BC7 several bursaries available specifically for parenting students and scholarships for single mothers enrolled in women s studies Any errors in statistical information here could be caused by the fact that not all universities were able to answer all of the questions, or could not be reached for comment. Any imperfections in the data may also be caused by a university worker being wrongly informed on campus resources. Furthermore if any of the resources have changed since the time that the survey was completed than changes will not be demonstrated in the data. i Statistics Canada Early sexual intercourse, condom use and sexually transmitted diseases. quotidien/050503/dq050503a eng.htm. (accessed August 2009). ii Statistics Canada Health and development of children of older first time mothers. quotidien/080924/dq080924a eng.htm. (accessed August 2009). iii The deveber Institute adapted the survey for this research project from the Feminists for Life Pregnancy Resource Survey, Utley, Cayce D.Perception is Reality: Pregnancy and Parenting Resources on Campus. Feminists for Life of America. April 2008.