Parenting Student Resources

Parenting Student Resources and Information

Trinity Washington University is committed to going beyond the traditional scope of student services to provide holistic support to our parenting students. We engaged in a two-year working group called Family U to engage with colleagues, other campuses and experts to become stronger advocates for our parenting students.

Why? Simple. Overall, about 24% of the entire Trinity student body are parenting students (Fall 2023).

The U.S. national average of all undergraduate students with children, according to the U.S. Department of Labor is 22%.

For Trinity, the number of parenting students ranges from 44.51% of all undergraduate students in the School of Professional Studies to 9.80% of all students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences to 22.41% of all students in Business and Graduate Studies to 25.81% in the School of Education to 24.11% of all students in the School of Nursing and Health Professions (undergraduate and graduate).

Family Library

In Fall 2023 we open the Trinity Family Library, located in the lower level of Trinity’s Library, where student parents will find a safe and quiet space to gather and study with their children.  The Family Library is a secure, clean, and child friendly space, where student parents are able to get schoolwork done, while their little ones are occupied with age-appropriate activities.

Check out their webpage at: https://www2.trinitydc.edu/library/trinity-family-library/ 

See the recent Trinity Times article highlighting the space at: https://trinitydctimes.com/2023/10/02/new-family-library-to-offer-student-parents-study-space-with-their-children/ 

The Student Parent Alliance

Student Affairs at Trinity Washington University is committed to offering students a variety of opportunities for involvement on campus including Athletics, student clubs and organizations, student government, and service projects to join and lead, offering something for everyone. One of the recognized Student Clubs is the Student Parent Alliance, whose mission is: to provide a safe space for parents to communicate, learn about campus and community resources, discuss challenges and hardships, celebrate our joys and achievements, and advocate for a welcoming environment on campus.  Current contact information for the Club President and  Faculty Advisor is available at: https://discover.trinitydc.edu/student-activities/clubs/ 

Basic Needs, Diapers and Food Assistance

• Student Affairs can provide students access to our free food pantry to assist with short terms needs.  Trinity’s Food Pantry is located in Main Hall, 2^nd floor.   If you need assistance please stop by to see Dean Meechie Bowie (Main 223) or Sr. Ann Howard (Main 224) or contact 202-884-9611 or email bowiem@trinitydc.edu.
• Additionally, the Capital Area Food Bank provides emergency food assistance to residents of the DC Metropolitan area including the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, and Northern Virginia.  Use their interactive map at https://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/covid19response/#get-help or call 202-644-9807 or email hungerlifeline@capitalareafoodbank.org if you need assistance.
• Check out the DC Diaper Bank’s Diaper Hub for resources and locations for diaper assistance at: https://greaterdcdiaperbank.org/our-programs/diaperhubs/
• The Student Affairs Emergency Student Assistance Fund was established to provide assistance to Trinity students due to one-time, unexpected financial emergencies or hardship. This assistance is intended to help students stay in school and meet their educational goals, ultimately securing a better financial future for themselves and their families.  Review eligibility and apply at: https://discover.trinitydc.edu/student-affairs/emergency-student-assistance/

Title IX and Pregnancy

In keeping with Trinity’s mission as a university rooted in Catholic teachings on social justice, Trinity strives to provide an environment of welcome, support, and accommodation for students who are pregnant, parenting, or managing related health and personal conditions.

Trinity’s policy and practices on pregnancy and parenting are also in keeping with the expectations of federal law as expressed in Title IX and the 2024 Title IX Regulations of the U.S. Department of Education. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational institutions and all related educational activities, and the prohibition includes discrimination against pregnant and parenting students. Title IX requires universities to make reasonable modifications for pregnant students or students experiencing issues related to pregnancy or parenting.

Students can reach out to Trinity’s Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Sarah Young at YoungSar@Trinitydc.edu if further assistance is needed or if concerns arise.  See more information at: https://discover.trinitydc.edu/student-affairs/title-ix-and-pregnancy

Health and Wellness Services

The Trinity Washington University Health and Wellness Center provides routine primary care, women’s health and counseling services Monday-Friday between 8am – 5pm. You may walk in or schedule an appointment. All full time, part time, day, evening and weekend students are eligible to receive care.  Care is generally provided at no cost to the student however, we may bill your insurance so please bring your insurance card with you to your visit.  The Health and Wellness Center is located in Main 461 on the 4th floor of Main Hall.  Email: HealthCenter@trinitydc.edu or call: 202-884-9615.

The Trinity Health and Wellness Center also offers free and confidential mental health services to students, including Individual Counseling; Support Groups; Mental Health Screenings and Prevention & Education Workshops and Programs.  Further, check out this list of applications and websites that can assist you in addressing a variety of concerns and can be used to support the work you do in therapy or assist with self-improvement.  https://discover.trinitydc.edu/student-affairs/self-care-and-stress-reduction/.

Lactation Resources

Trinity offers 3 locations for lactation on campus:

• As part of the Family Library, located in the lower level of the Library, there is a lactation room which is available to all mothers on campus for nursing and pumping. It has privacy, a glider and foot stool, and a mini refrigerator, as well as an attached bathroom.
• Trinity’s Health and Wellness Center (Main Hall 461) can arrange for your private use of their meditation room to use as a lactation room if you have a need for a safe place to express or pump.  The staff can also provide lactating nursing mothers with educational and environmental support of their breastfeeding goals. Please contact the Health Center at healthcenter@trinitydc.edu or call: 202-884-9615 to make an appointment and discuss options.
• Payden Academic Center offers limited use of its “Clinical Suite” of rooms on the 2nd Floor of Payden for lactation needs.

Child Care Resources

Trinity does not currently have any on campus childcare services, but we can assist you in connecting you to off campus resources.  See: https://discover.trinitydc.edu/student-affairs/child-care-resources/ for a current list of resources and supports to assist.  Please reach out to Dean Meechie Bowie at 202-884-9611, Main Hall 223 or BowieM@trinitydc.edu for assistance.

Protecting Children on Trinity’s Campus

Trinity celebrates the presence of many children in the lives of our large campus family, and Trinity is committed to doing everything possible to ensure the health, safety and well being of all children.  Trinity complies with all laws concerning the protection of children, and will immediately report any cases of suspected child abuse or neglect to the police and Child Protective Services.

Trinity is committed to maintaining an appropriate academic environment for collegiate-level teaching and learning, research, co-curricular activities, and all of the related work that supports the academic life of the university. To achieve these objectives, Trinity expects the full cooperation of all faculty, staff and students in observing these policies, which apply to all persons under the age of 18 who are not otherwise enrolled in programs of Trinity:

As a general rule, because Trinity’s work is higher education, Trinity’s campus is not an appropriate environment for children unless they are enrolled in a program specifically designed for children and appropriately supervised by adults with the proper training and credentials, also subject to required criminal background check clearances. Students and faculty expect to be able to conduct their teaching and research in an adult academic environment; Trinity manages the campus primarily for adults, and does not have the capacity to provide safe places for children who are not enrolled in specific programs. As a result, parents or guardians who find it necessary to bring a child to campus must adhere strictly to the rules as documented here: https://discover.trinitydc.edu/policies/children-on-campus/.

Generation Hope

Trinity is a partner with Generation Hope, whose mission is to ensure all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility, Generation Hope engages education and policy partners to drive systemic change and provides direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic, two-generation programming.  The DC Scholar Program is designed to help young parents in the D.C. metro area achieve their college dreams.  Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, see criteria and apply at: https://cm2hope.neworg.com/default.asp?PageNum=57 

Trinity Washington University has been chosen as a 2023-2026 FamilyU Seal recipient.  Trinity Washington University has been selected as one of 13 institutions chosen from a competitive field of candidates to receive this recognition for investment in student parent success.

Trinity Student Parent Success Story