4 Ways for College Student-Parents to Get Cheap Child Care

Going to college and raising a family are two of the most valuable experiences people go through in their lives. Both require an immense amount of commitment and dedication and often have a massive impact on the course of a person’s life. Despite the individual responsibilities of studying and child-rearing, many students decide to undertake both simultaneously.

Taking care of a child is a full-time occupation, and juggling it with the pursuit of education requires careful time management. Student-parents may find themselves short on time when it comes to completing important coursework, term paper, or dissertation. When student-parents need to write a dissertation, they often decide to pay a professional who can assist them. The online services that help to write my dissertation for me are extremely helpful for those combining education and child care. The most important is that it frees up time that can be dedicated to their children.

Through careful time management and getting savvy with childcare, the quest to get a degree while raising a child becomes more feasible! Here are some of the best methods of getting cheap childcare that’ll free up your time for studying without burdening your wallet!

Childcare Subsidies

For parents looking to pursue a degree, there are several ways to avail of subsidization for childcare costs. These subsidies are sometimes directly offered by colleges themselves, which will offer their students grants to help with childcare. Student-parents should specifically inquire with their universities to see what subsidization may be available to them.

In many regions, student-parents can request their local government for subsidization of childcare costs, as city councils will often offer child care grants for college students. Parents can claim back up to 85% of their nominal child care costs for children under 17. Beyond this, parents who are engaged in full-time education are eligible for further governmental assistance. This child care assistance for full-time students rarely requires any payback, so student parents can comfortably learn and child-rear without accumulating debt!

On-campus Childcare 

It’s becoming more and more common to find childcare options available right there on the college doorstep. A number of higher education institutions offer options for daycare within the college campus, so parents can access affordable child care and avoid running back and forth to a daycare every day.

Student-parents seeking this type of convenient assistance should make sure to research colleges with daycare as they plan their education. Often, this kind of university will offer free daycare for college students or at least have an option by which students can apply for daycare scholarships.

Volunteer Exchanges 

Aware of the struggle many parents face when it comes to meeting the cost of high quality child care, daycare centers sometimes offer parents reduced prices in exchange for volunteer work. A couple of days a week of volunteering at important events can be enough to see the bill for daycare costs drastically cut. This option is great for those who want to reduce costs and still spend as much time as possible close to their little ones.

Community Care Rotation

Students who have children may form communities to share their unique experiences, seek trusted advice, and create a nearby network for their children to make friends. These communities are invaluable to student-parents, as college life experience while raising a child is so unique that advice from those also living it comes in handy.

These networks can be great for more than just advice and support, though. If multiple student-parents are looking to reduce childcare costs, creating a rotation system between a student-parent association is a great way to do so. Taking a couple of kids to look after once or twice a week could mean freeing up time for studying! It’s a great way to build social bonds both for you and your child; and best of all, it comes totally free of charge!

While being a student-parent is no easy feat, careful planning and seeking savvy childcare can make it a very real possibility. Just by following some simple advice and managing time and costs effectively, you can look forward to your child cheering you on at your graduation ceremony!