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<p>This is a great point. Community college is definitely a great place to compare notes with other parents, due to the number of older students. They also have on-site daycares (or at least mine does) and they’re inexpensive.</p>
<p>Congrats on wanting to continue your education. There are a few options available and most everybody has already brought them up. I personally would choose a close community college and stay at home till I was done with school and pursue anything higher than that when the child was older. The reason I say pursue higher later is because the child will be older and therefore out of daycare, you have had time to save money not just for college but other expenses and you have time to build up a bigger network of support.</p>
<p>Don’t misunderstand and think I am saying hold off on dreams just take a realistic approach. I had my first child when I was 17, I had a few more kids in quick succession after that. I always wanted to go back to school but knew that when they were real little that would be near impossible stress wise. Once I got the youngest in all day school that was when I went back to school. And in a lot of ways I think that was better, at least for me, because the parenting thing was not so new, and I was better able to manage my stress and time better.</p>
<p>But everyone is different and some things work better for them a different way. I wish you the best of luck.</p>
<p>BTW: my community college I attend does not have on-site daycare nor do they help pay for any child care.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>The only CCs that I know of that have on-site daycare are the CCs that have some kind of child-care certification (or whatever) program. But, it’s probably hard to get your child placed there because it would probably be very popular.</p>
<p>And, the CC daycare is not free. They charge regular rates.</p>
<p>A good support system is key. I know my situation is not exactly comparable but when I had a child in the middle of law school (yes, I was married, but H was working really crazy hours and could not help in any way), the only reason I was able to graduate is that we moved into my mother’s basement and she took over the child care almost completely. I remember studying for my Tax exam and my mother bringing me the baby to nurse and taking her away as soon as she was finished. It will not be easy, but with enormous parental (and possibly “baby-daddy”) support, it may be possible.</p>
<p>However, I have to stress that I had money (H was working and our rent was minimal), family took over almost all childcare, and I was older, married and completely focused. I never went out with friends. I never did anything fun. This is kind of hard when you are 25. It’s almost impossible at 17.</p>
<p>Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I volunteer with teen moms in a program I helped to create in our city. It is very difficult to balance education and parenting without a support system as the other posters have said. </p>
<p>I applaud you for wanting to better your life by continuing your education. So many teen mothers end up in poverty because they can’t get decent employment and child care. So if you do have parents to help you, please work with them and thank them continually. Many of the young moms I know don’t have parents available to help them. Either they work two jobs or have their own personal issues which keep them from being any help.</p>
<p>I hope you are doing everything possible not to have another child in the near future. Studies show that for every child had as a single mother, expect 10 years of poverty. </p>
<p>Our community college does have child care but there is a waiting list. I’d apply as soon as possible for the child care program. You might also see if there is an Early Head Start program in your vicinity. Early Head Start is designed for young woman age 20 and under with children from birth to age 3. They provide transportation for the child which is a huge help. </p>
<p>Are you able to drive? If so, that will help you get to job and school and daycare. If not, your life will revolve around bus schedules.</p>
<p>There is a good book for teen mothers called “Life Interrupted.” Your life is interrupted by the birth of your child. Somethings may have to be put on hold. You may not have the college life you had intended. Follow your dreams though and they will eventually become realized.</p>
<p>I have read that teen moms often end up living much more responsibly than their peers, and achieve more as a result. I have seen this in my own neighborhood.</p>
<p>I am just adding that there are online programs that many parents like while their kids are young. These can be taken for 2 years, and then you can transfer, or they can be taken for many years toward a degree.</p>
<p>The University of Phoenix is one well-known one, but many state U.'s are now developing such programs (UMass online for instance).</p>
<p>Another idea is a low-residency program, which is often cheaper. Goddard and Union Institute are examples. At Goddard, you spend one week each semester on campus, then work at home, exchanging work with your professor. Union Institute has that model also, but also has an online degree program that looks quite good.</p>
<p>Online or low-residency programs save time because you do not have to go to class, and money because they are low-overhead for the school, and also you do not have to pay for child care.</p>
<p>One other idea is to go to CC and do a career training program, as a nurse’s aid, vet tech., hairdresser, x-ray tech. whatever interests you. This would give you a way to earn money and then you can go back to school in a few years, if you want to work further.</p>
<p>But how are you going to work if there is no parental support there for you? The same problems apply to work as to school: with a very little one, you need someone to help you out if you want to do anything. </p>
<p>Your posts show some need for work on writing skills, if your post is for real. There are many services at community colleges for that kind of work.</p>
<p>Just found this list online and wanted to pass it along in case it helps. I would call each college to find out what the conditions are of family housing.</p>
<p>Colleges with Family Housing</p>
<p>Berea CollegeWright State Univ
Guilford College
Hamilton College
Michigan State Univ.
Northern Illinois University
Northern Michigan Univ.
Northwest College
St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana
St. Paul’s College in Farmville
Univ. of Maine in University Park
University of Southern Maine
Wilson College</p>
<p>I don’t know what your stats are like, but if they are high, one place to consider is Smith College. As a parent, you would qualify for Smith’s “Ada Comstock” program. It was originally created for older women who were unable to complete their education, but it is open to any 24 or older OR to anyone with a child, regardless of age. </p>
<p>The Ada program offers tons of financial support and great assistance. There is family Ada housing on campus, and there is a campus daycare for your child. The program will really go the extra mile to support its students, so you would be well looked after. </p>
<p>It’s still not easy, you have to take the same classes as everyone else, and the academic rigor is high. But, it will give you the chance to attend a top university and still care for your child, so that could be great. </p>
<p>Often Adas transfer in with some community college credit, so you can still wait a few years and think about it if you plan on earning credit elsewhere. But if you’re a high-achieving student, and willing to live in Massachusetts, check the program out.</p>
<p>I could be wrong, but I don’t think the OP returned to this thread once she was asked how her schooling, housing, and child care would be paid for. </p>
<p>I don’t mean to sound harsh, but her writing skills from her posts suggested that she would not have good stats. </p>
<p>She may have just been exploring the idea of going to college, because some of her classmates are dealing the college process right now.</p>
<p>Also, since many suggested that she really needed to be near family for assistance with raising her baby, she may have decided to go to a community college. A friend’s daughter tried to “go away” to school with a baby. She had been a NMF, high stats, etc. She was given almost a free-ride, but had a part-time job to pay for baby care, personal expenses, etc. She flunked out after a year. It’s very hard to manage schooling, a job, and a baby all by yourself without family around.</p>
<p>I completely agree that it’s hard to go away from your support structure if you’re raising a child and going to school. That’s why it might be good for her to look at schools that not only have daycare centers, but specifically have programs aimed at supporting students with children. </p>
<p>The nice thing about the Ada Comstock program, or similar programs, is that it provides a support structure on campus to help students who have children, are studying, and will probably be away from familial or friend-based support structures. Also, the financial aid is extra generous for Ada scholars, so her tuition, housing, and childcare would probably be almost completely covered. </p>
<p>After all, as a parent, she can apply for financial aid as a financially independent person with a very small income. So she would probably qualify for some really nice aid.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Yes, but such aid (free grants) rarely covers the cost when going away to school. It may only cover tuition and books at a local college. And, such a person should NOT take on student loans for a couple of reasons. She’d have a hard time paying them back, and she’s a risk to drop out of school which would make repayment even more difficult. </p>
<p>Comstock does include loans in it’s F/A packages. Loans for a young single mom is not a good idea.</p>
<p>I don’t think she’d be considered a “scholar” by any such school, since her writing skills suggest that she’s lacking the basics.</p>
<p>Her best bet is to start local and get aid for that.</p>
<p>Maddiesmom, I congratulate you for trying to build a better life for yourself and your child and wish you luck. I agree that, if youhave good support now, stayin glocal is smart.</p>
<p>I don’t think she ever said where she was from, so for all I know Smith could be local for her. She also never provided us with academic information so I chose not to make assumptions based on a few internet forum posts. Many 17 year olds don’t carefully edit what they say when they’re writing on line. </p>
<p>Frankly, considering she hasn’t provided that much info but is just looking for general resources, I don’t think it’s fair to say that any of us know what her “best bet” is. All I was trying to do was provide her with some options to explore, which I think was all that she asked.</p>
<p>Since the person who started this post hasn’t answered any of the questions that people have asked, or acknowledged any of the number of responses here in 9 days…I’d guess this was either a joke or the girl lost interest. I don’t think I’d bother taking time with this one till the poster responds.</p>
<p>I wasn’t a teen mom, but went back to college in my 30s - with four kids!</p>
<p>The community college where I started had daycare, which I enrolled my youngest, who was 3 at the time.</p>
<p>Good luck honey!</p>
<p>Keep this in mind–you need to prioritize. Is college the best thing for you (and your child) right now? (think cost, convenience, etc.). It may suit you to wait a bit; after all, it’s never too late to go to school. Good luck!</p>