For thousands of students balancing textbooks and toddlers, the path to a degree is rarely a straight line. In the community college system, where students often juggle full-time employment and family obligations, the risk of attrition is highest for those with children. However, a targeted approach at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem is challenging the narrative that parenthood must be a barrier to academic success.
A recent investigation by the think tank Novel America has highlighted the Forsyth Tech student parent support model as a critical blueprint for reducing dropout rates. By treating childcare and family stability not as peripheral issues, but as core academic requirements, the institution is creating a sustainable pathway for a demographic that has historically been underserved in higher education.
The struggle for student parents is often defined by “time poverty”—the chronic lack of time available for study and self-care due to the overlapping demands of childcare, and coursework. When a daycare provider closes or a child falls ill, the result is frequently a missed exam or a dropped class, which can trigger a cascade of financial aid losses and eventual withdrawal from the program.
Addressing the Structural Barriers to Graduation
The New America research underscores that traditional academic supports—such as tutoring or standard financial aid—often fail student parents because they do not address the primary catalyst for dropout: the lack of reliable, affordable childcare. The model implemented at Forsyth Tech shifts the focus toward holistic stability, recognizing that a student cannot focus on a lecture if they are worried about who is watching their child.
To combat this, the institution has integrated supports that target the specific friction points of the parent-student experience. These include flexible scheduling options and a more nuanced approach to advising that accounts for the volatile nature of parenting. Rather than penalizing students for the unpredictability of family life, the model emphasizes adaptability and proactive intervention.
Key elements of the support strategy include:
- Targeted Resource Navigation: Helping parents identify and apply for childcare subsidies and emergency grants specifically designed for families.
- Academic Flexibility: Promoting asynchronous learning options and hybrid schedules that allow parents to synchronize their studies with their children’s sleep or school schedules.
- Community Integration: Creating peer networks where student parents can share resources, childcare tips, and emotional support, reducing the isolation that often leads to burnout.
The Impact of Holistic Support Systems
The data suggests that when institutions provide targeted support for parents, the “dropout gap” narrows. Student parents who have access to reliable childcare and flexible academic policies are significantly more likely to persist through their first year of study compared to those navigating the system alone. The New America investigation suggests that these interventions do more than just improve graduation rates; they increase the lifetime earning potential of the entire family unit.
In Winston-Salem, this approach is particularly vital given the economic diversity of the student body. For many, a community college degree is the primary vehicle for upward mobility. When a parent graduates, the positive externalities extend to their children, who grow up in a household where higher education is modeled and prioritized.
| Feature | Traditional Model | Forsyth Tech Model |
|---|---|---|
| Childcare | Student’s sole responsibility | Integrated resource navigation |
| Scheduling | Fixed course times | Emphasis on flexibility/hybrid options |
| Advising | Academic progress only | Holistic stability and life-planning |
| Peer Support | General student clubs | Targeted student-parent networks |
The Role of Policy in Educational Equity
While the efforts at the campus level are significant, the broader goal is to move these supports from “special programs” to institutional standards. The New America findings argue that the “student parent” identity should be a recognized category in higher education policy, similar to how veterans or first-generation students are supported. This would allow for more consistent funding and the scaling of childcare solutions across the North Carolina Community College System.
Critics of expanded support often point to the cost of providing childcare or the perceived “lowering of standards” through flexible scheduling. However, the economic argument favors the support model: the cost of providing a childcare voucher is far lower than the economic loss incurred when a student drops out and fails to enter the high-skill workforce.
Scaling the Model for Future Success
The success of the Forsyth Tech model serves as a proof of concept for other institutions facing similar attrition challenges. By identifying the specific stressors that drive parent students away—namely childcare and rigid scheduling—colleges can implement surgical interventions that yield high returns in retention.
Moving forward, the focus is on expanding these resources to ensure they reach the most marginalized student parents, including those in rural areas of North Carolina who face additional transportation hurdles. The integration of digital tools and expanded telehealth or remote counseling for parents is viewed as the next logical step in evolving this support system.
As the academic year progresses, administrators and policymakers are looking toward the next set of retention data to determine how these supports correlate with long-term degree completion rates. The goal is to transform the community college experience from a gauntlet of survival into a structured path toward professional certification and degree attainment for every parent.
This article provides information for educational purposes and does not constitute financial or legal advice regarding student loans or childcare subsidies.
The next major update on student retention initiatives in North Carolina is expected during the upcoming legislative sessions regarding community college funding and workforce development grants.
Do you think more colleges should provide dedicated childcare support? Share your thoughts in the comments or share this story with an educator.
