Glendale Community College has many programs to support parents returning to school. Whether one is returning after a long absence or continuing after high school, GCC’s staff and faculty seek to accommodate the process, according to the institution’s website. 

Student parents and especially single student parents have many obstacles to overcome if they wish to attend college. According to an internet rating site Niche.com, GCC is ranked number four out of a field of 45 community colleges in Los Angeles County and number six out of the top 20, according to BestValueSchools.org. When compared statewide for completion rates, it is ranked 42 out of 118, according to CommunityCollegeReview.com.  

From one-on-one counseling to referrals for financial aid or mental health concerns, the administration and faculty present a positive and enriching learning environment. The aspect of attending a community college while being a single parent seems impossible, the following are a few of the counseling programs offered at GCC: http://www.glendale.edu/students/student-services/counseling.

CalWORKs:   This program is designed to support students with children under 18 years old. The CalWORKs program students receive priority registration and grants two times a year. Also offered is a work study program, which is a paid position and does not count as income for CalWORKs requirements. Additionally, the CalWORKs program offers assistance with financial aid and access to the Food Pantry to help with basic needs. It also helps through emergency grants among other things Title IX registration, which can alleviate some of the stress of going to school by guaranteeing excused absences and opportunities to make up missed assignments.  

Parent Education:   This program affords the parent and the child to attend classes together. The classes offered are music, dance, stories, and art activities. This gives parents the opportunity to help their children with social skills and meet other like-minded people. The program also offers time with professional parent educators that lead discussions on parenting issues.

Childcare: GCC has on-campus child care through the Glendale Community College Laboratory School, a model for teaching and learning. This is a bending of community needs and an educational curriculum.  The school is a laboratory to facilitate those students looking for a career in Child Life Specialist, Occupational/Physical Therapy, Elementary Education, Nursing and more. The teachers and directors are chosen for their strong background in the field of child education.

The GCC Garfield Child Development Center teaches children to reach their full potential. This is achieved through a high-quality curriculum and their commitment to families. The center is an inclusive environment that embraces and respects people of all backgrounds. This helps the children learn social, emotional and academic skills and promotes confidence and responsibility.

Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) is a program that covers many aspects of childcare and early education. The program offers childcare scholarships, otherwise known as subsidized child care.

Confidential Emotional and Mental Health: This is a counseling service provided to students of all types and can be conducted in person, on the phone, or through the Zoom platform. At the GCC Health Center, a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist provides confidential mental health counseling. GCC offers information on county and state mental health resources as well. 

All resources are accessible through the GCC portal here: https://www.glendale.edu/students/student-services. 

To learn more about GCC’s campus resources, visit:

https://www.glendale.edu/students/campus-resources 

To learn more about counseling services, visit:

https://www.glendale.edu/students/student-services/counseling 

To learn more about mental health services, visit:

https://www.glendale.edu/students/student-services/mental-health-services

To read the sources referred to in this article, visit:

https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-community-colleges/m/los-angeles-metro-area

https://www.bestvalueschools.org/community-colleges-in-los-angeles/

https://www.communitycollegereview.com/completion-rates-stats/california 

Timothy Ferguson can be reached at [email protected].