The daily balance of school, work, and family on razor-thin margins
By: Edwige Ozo
At 1 a.m., I type my assignment with one hand while rubbing my son’s back with the other.
His cough keeps him awake all night, and my assignment is due at 5 p.m., and losing half the marks for a late submission isn’t an option.
By 7:30 a.m., I pack lunches for myself and my other son. I text my friend to ask if she can watch my sick seven-year-old while I go to class.
The day’s just starting, and I’m already preparing for the worst: being late to class and my child getting sicker.
This is my reality as a student-parent.
Life runs on margins, so tight that a minor disruption, such as illness, a full daycare, or a late bus, can throw everything off balance.
Before I started my program, I tried to piece together a schedule that worked with parenting and school.
Finding part-time work that fits around my classes and daycare drop-offs was nearly impossible.
The average waitlist for licensed daycares is 17 months, according to the Manitoba Child Care Association. RRC Polytech announced plans to add 74 new daycare spaces by 2026, an expansion aimed at supporting student-parents on campus.
Accessible, affordable, and priority childcare that is reliable and subsidized is the foundation for student-parent success.
On-campus daycare provides stability and peace of mind. The Early Childhood Centre at RRC Polytech’s Notre Dame Campus serves toddlers and preschool-aged children, but it cannot meet the needs of all student-parents.
By partnering with community centres and offering emergency childcare options, RRC Polytech could help more student-parents focus on their studies while taking care of their families.
Life as a student-parent can be isolating, and support networks are crucial. According to research from the U.S. Department of Education’s ERIC database, mentorship and peer-support programs improve student retention and persistence, helping reduce the likelihood that students disengage or drop out.
In Canada, over one in four post-secondary students reported having seriously considered dropping out of their program because of financial strain. This finding comes from an online survey of 1,010 university, college, and technical college students aged 17 to 26 conducted by education savings company Embark in partnership with Léger between June 26 and July 17, 2024. Nearly half of students say they would struggle to remain enrolled without parental support.
What is needed is a structured support initiative specifically for student-parents to provide them with guidance and help them feel less isolated in their programs.
Student-parents need academic flexibility. RRC Polytech states that many courses are offered through flexible delivery methods — including fully online, blended (in‑person and online), and asynchronous formats — to provide students with adaptable learning options.
Some parents need adjusted deadlines for caregiving, hybrid options for required courses, and available mentorship or advising.
Providing evening or weekend sections, extended deadlines, and dedicated parent-focused support systems could transform the student experience from being a constant survival mode to a manageable balance.
Financial pressure also remains a barrier. Scholarships, bursaries, and awards, including RRC Polytech’s Single-Parent Bursary help, but student-parents still face the added costs that come with raising a family.
Providing financial support to offset childcare costs or reduced work hours could lower the risk of drop-out rates and emergency funds for unexpected childcare costs would also ensure that parents stay enrolled in their programs.
