CPE report: Childcare barriers are more than a workforce issue

September 24, 2026

Released during National Student Parent Month, a new report finds that childcare access and affordability remain significant barriers keeping an estimated 375,000 adult Kentuckians who are also parents from enrolling in and completing postsecondary education.

September is National Student Parent Month, a nationwide observance recognizing the millions of college students who are also raising children. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is marking the month by releasing new findings on one of the most persistent obstacles these students face: access to reliable, affordable childcare.

The report, Kentucky Parenting Students: Holding the Future in Their Arms, is a co-release from Trellis Strategies and the Kentucky Student Success Collaborative (KYSSC), a unit of CPE. Nationally, about a third of enrolled college students who also are parents say childcare access strongly influences whether they complete a postsecondary credential.

"Ensuring every student, no matter their background, can complete a quality credential quickly and with little or no debt is our number one priority," said CPE President Aaron Thompson. "Given our workforce needs that require more Kentuckians with a postsecondary credential, we must prioritize currently underserved populations, like our parenting students, by identifying the barriers and creating solutions. The benefits extend beyond degree and credential completion, helping these student parents and their families be less likely to rely on public assistance and more likely to have access to livable wages and health benefits."

The report points to three sets of solutions state and institutional leaders can pursue to help parenting students stay in school and graduate:

Funding: Expanding federal and state investment in childcare — including the Child Care & Development Fund (CCDF) and Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) — and establishing dedicated state childcare grants for postsecondary students so this population isn't left competing with other applicants for scarce subsidy slots.

Policy: Kentucky has made significant efforts to reduce child care barriers for parenting students that include counting class time toward eligibility requirements, as well as ensuring parenting students can access child care subsidies whether enrolled full-time, part-time, or online, serving as a model for other state child care policies.

Institutional efforts: Colleges and universities can track enrollment and completion data by caregiving status, remove financial aid policies that penalize outside grants, build partnerships with local childcare providers, and pair childcare assistance with wrap-around supports like basic-needs services and public benefits navigation.

The report also finds that among all parenting students nationally, 48 percent are first-generation college students, compared with 27 percent of their non-parenting peers — meaning many of the students with the fewest inherited advantages are also those most affected by childcare instability.

In addition to examining the challenges faced by parenting students, the report provides 14 recommendations across these three areas that state and institutional leaders can pursue to make college more accessible to parenting students. The report is available on the Council's website.

Webinar: Reviewing the Findings

CPE, KYSSC and Trellis Strategies will host a webinar on October 15 to review the report's findings and recommendations in more detail. Presenters from KYSSC and Trellis Strategies will walk through the data on childcare affordability, supply and financial support, and discuss how state and institutional leaders can apply the report's 14 recommendations. Click here to register.