Current pregnant and parenting students have certain Title IX rights and protections that prevent discrimination in educational programs and activities. For example, under Title IX, colleges and universities must excuse all pregnancy related absences and allow students to make up any work missed due to pregnancy. Unfortunately, many students are unaware of these rights and protections. Very few colleges display the Title IX rights on their website, much less in their health centers. AB 809 child development programs (Santiago, D - Los Angeles) would require all California public colleges and universities to prominently display Title IX protections on their website and health centers in order to increase the awareness of these protections and allow students to overcome the challenges of being both a parent and student. With increased awareness of these rights and protections, pregnant and parenting students will be less reluctant to drop out of college. Furthermore, one of the biggest challenges facing single parent students is securing affordable and flexible childcare. Priority enrollment for single, low-income parenting students for on-campus childcare programs can help ease the burden of school schedules and being waitlisted for months. AB 809 is a modest, yet effective, step toward this goal. Please voice your support for AB 809. |
