WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced and passed by voice vote a bipartisan resolution recognizing September 2022 as National Student Parent Month. The resolution highlights the contributions and achievements of the nearly 4 million Americans with children who attend postsecondary educational institutions.
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“By passing this bipartisan resolution to recognize September 2022 as National Student Parent Month, the Senate is sending an important message to the millions of Americans who are both raising children and trying to balance college coursework that we have their backs—especially those who face unique challenges, like single parents, military families or first-generation college students,” said Duckworth. “I’m proud to lead this resolution alongside Senator Moran, and we will continue supporting student parents as they work to provide a better future for their families.”
“Being a parent while juggling homework and classes requires tenacity and endurance,” said Moran. “This is especially true for many of our military-connected students who are parents and are seeking a degree or professional certification while on active duty, transitioning back to civilian life, or while a spouse is deployed.”
Full text of the resolution is available here.
“Higher Learning Advocates is thrilled that the Senate has passed S. Res. TK, the Student Parent Resolution, designating this September the second annual National Student Parent Month,” said Julie Peller, Executive Director of Higher Learning Advocates, which has endorsed the resolution. “Almost 4,000,000 students in college today are parents, with 51% of them being students of color and 43% being single mothers. Despite the many responsibilities they juggle, student parents excel academically despite the many systemic barriers that stand in their way. I’d like to thank Senators Duckworth and Moran for reintroducing this important resolution that allows us to both celebrate parenting students’ achievements while also recognizing that higher education policy change would allow even more student parents to succeed.”
Duckworth has been a strong advocate for women and families throughout her service in the House and Senate. Last August, Duckworth reintroduced her Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) Reauthorization Act, which would help increase access to on-campus child care for low-income student parents and ensure the U.S. Department of Education is meeting the needs of our student parent populations by permanently reauthorizing and fully funding the CCAMPIS program—the only federal program dedicated to supporting the needs of student parents and on-campus child care services. Earlier this year, Duckworth secured a $10 million increase in CCAMPIS funding for a total of $65 million included in the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Omnibus signed into law by President Biden in March.
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