Supporting Parenting Students and Basic Needs Success

Parenting students are a vital part of Wisconsin’s technical college community. Every day, thousands of students balance coursework, employment, and family responsibilities while working toward credentials that lead to family-supporting careers.

The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is committed to helping parenting students succeed in their educational and career journeys. Through collaboration with Wisconsin technical colleges, state agency partners, community organizations, and national leaders such as Jobs for the Future (JFF), we are working to better understand the needs of parenting students and identify strategies that can be scaled across the System to improve student success.

Advancing Family-Friendly Campuses

As part of a grant-supported initiative, Wisconsin technical colleges are exploring and implementing recommended practices identified in the Family Friendly Campus Toolkit developed by Generation Hope and partners. These practices help institutions create environments where parenting students can thrive academically while meeting the needs of their families. Participating colleges are assessing current services, identifying opportunities for growth, and developing action plans that strengthen supports for parenting students and their children.

Areas of focus include:

• Identification and understanding of parenting student populations
• Access to basic needs resources and wraparound supports
• Child care availability and navigation assistance
• Financial, academic, and career planning supports
• Family-friendly campus spaces and policies
• Community partnerships and resource coordination
• Institutional practices that promote belonging and student success

Supporting Students’ Basic Needs

Research and experience demonstrate that students are more likely to persist and complete their programs when their basic needs are met. Across Wisconsin’s technical colleges, institutions are developing and expanding supports that may include:

• Food pantries and connections to nutrition assistance programs
• Emergency financial assistance
• Housing and transportation resources
• Technology access and digital connectivity supports
• Health and wellness resources
• Child care information and referrals
• Benefits navigation and connections to community services

These efforts recognize that student success extends beyond the classroom and that addressing barriers can help students stay enrolled, complete credentials, and enter rewarding careers.

Collaboration and Continuous Improvement

The Wisconsin Technical College System is building a statewide community of practice focused on parenting student success. Through peer learning, data-informed decision-making, and partnerships with colleges and community organizations, participants are identifying effective approaches and sharing promising practices.

This work includes examining topics such as:

• Parenting student identification and outreach
• Student utilization of support services
• Academic outcomes and persistence
• Family-friendly campus policies
• Partnerships with workforce, child care, housing, and social service providers
• Sustainable models for supporting parenting students and their families

Our Goal

By strengthening supports for parenting students and addressing basic needs challenges, Wisconsin technical colleges can help more students complete their education, achieve economic mobility, and create brighter futures for themselves and their families. The Wisconsin Technical College System remains committed to working alongside colleges, state and community partners, and parenting students themselves to advance family-friendly practices and expand opportunities for student success.