Elizabeth-Joy Phillips, a student in social services and single mother at Mohawk College, says the college’s initiative to better support students who are also child caregivers is a game-changer for her.
Elizabeth-Joy Phillips, a student in social services and single mother at Mohawk College, says the college’s initiative to better support students who are also child caregivers is a game-changer for her.
Mohawk College is studying how it can better aid students who are also caregivers to young children.
“It’s an opportunity to better support these students generally,” said Dr. Pamela Ingleton, director of the College Student Success Innovation Centre at Mohawk who noted as much as 18 per cent of their full-time enrollment - or roughly 2,900 students - are single parents or looking after younger siblings. “Their current experiences, needs and challenges.”
Those numbers are based on entrance surveys that new students fill out before starting classes.
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While the college will be reaching out to student caregivers using surveys, interviews and focus groups, Ingleton said they are not sure how many participants will take part in the study.
The project includes gathering information from students between January and March and will be followed up in fall 2025 with free programs for the students and children at library branches across the city in collaboration with the Hamilton Public Library (HPL).
“They do not have to register, it’s all drop-in, it will be after school and pre-dinner is what we envision,” Ingleton said. “(The students) can come with whatever children they care for and there will be programming available for all ages.”
Ingleton said students will be able to work on their course assignments or get help with their writing and math skills from peer tutors, all while the little ones are busy nearby.
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“Generally speaking, that’s what’s in the highest demand in terms of tutoring for all of our students,” Ingleton said. “If students require more specific help, they can connect virtually with a course tutor,” Ingleton said.
The support program will also be available at the Fennell campus and the children’s programs will be run by early childhood education students at Mohawk and HPL staffers.
“Because both generations are there at some time, it allows (the caregivers) to role-model for their dependents or children,” Ingleton said. “Their kids get to watch them seek tutoring, to engage in learning and life-long learning, it’s a really good representation of what the process looks like.”
Elizabeth-Joy Phillips is a social services worker student at Mohawk.
She is also the single mother of a seven-year-old son.
Phillips said having places to go with her son after school where they can both learn is going to be huge for her and other students who are child caregivers.
“I think that would be a game-changer because at least you know that your child is being well taken care of,” Phillips said. “It allows you to get the most out of your college experience.”
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Phillips is also president of the Mohawk Students Association (MSA), but she noted for the purposes of this article is speaking for herself and not on behalf of the MSA.
“It’s good that you have that option to be able to study and complete your work without having to feel like you’re neglecting your child while you’re trying to get your assignments done,” Phillips said.
Cindy Poggiaroni, HPL’s director of collections and program development, said the collaboration with Mohawk aligns with the library’s commitment to support literacy and foster a lifelong love of reading in the community.
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