UM Student Parents Faced Childcare Resource Gaps
As student caregivers encounter limited local availability, new research highlights ongoing gaps in campus support.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Child Care
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University of Michigan students currently make up 7% of campus childcare center enrollment but account for 12.6% of the facility waitlists. A new study from the Division of Student Life Research and the Institute for Social Research identifies significant resource gaps for student parents balancing academic goals.
Why it matters
University childcare centers prioritize faculty and staff, leaving student parents to navigate competition for limited slots. These findings underscore the difficulty of balancing rigorous academic schedules with essential care responsibilities for children and elder family members.
Students represent 12.6% of the childcare waitlist compared to only 7% of current center enrollment. The university recently partnered with Bright Horizons in 2024 to provide subsidized backup care, following the 2024-2025 discontinuation of a pilot Saturday childcare program.
The players
Center for the Education of Women+
A long-standing university advocacy group that provides support services and identifies caregiving needs for student parents.
Bright Horizons
A national provider of early education and backup childcare services that partnered with the university in 2024.
Division of Student Life Research
A university department that conducts studies to assess the welfare and resource needs of the student body.
Institute for Social Research
A university research unit that collaborated on the recent study regarding student caregiver resource gaps.
The details
Campus departments collaborate to bridge these caregiving gaps through periodic student surveys and needs assessments conducted by the Center for the Education of Women+. These efforts aim to support students balancing care for children and elders by identifying where existing institutional programs fall short. The university currently offers subsidized backup childcare through Bright Horizons to supplement the primary care centers.
Timeline
1964: The Center for the Education of Women+ was founded.
2024: The university partnered with Bright Horizons for backup childcare.
2024-2025: A pilot program for Saturday childcare was discontinued.
2025: A study was conducted on student caregiver resource gaps.
The Home Front
This situation illustrates the broader challenge student-heavy cities face when academic support infrastructure fails to scale with the needs of non-traditional households. It reflects a growing tension between prioritize-staffing models and the requirements of student caregivers.
Student parents should consult with the Center for the Education of Women+ to register for needs assessments and verify their eligibility for the current Bright Horizons subsidized backup care program. If you are struggling with care coverage, contact campus resources to see if you qualify for newly identified support gaps.
The takeaway
The mismatch between university childcare waitlists and enrollment spots creates a significant logistical hurdle for student families. Students should prioritize annual outreach to the Center for the Education of Women+ to keep updated on changing availability and subsidized care options.
Further reading
For more on managing family logistics in the area, see Child Care.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Michigan Daily.
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