Photovoice Captures Student Parents’ Experiences With Georgia’s CAPS 2Generation Program

Nearly one in five college undergrad students is a parent. Although student parents are often highly motivated, a lack of affordable child care can make it difficult for them to attend classes, study, complete internships, or maintain employment—challenges that can prevent them from reaching their educational and career goals. Child care subsidies—financial assistance that helps low-income families pay for child care—represent one strategy for making child care more affordable. In Georgia, in 2024, the Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) established the Childcare Access for Parenting Students (CAPS) 2Generation Program, a partnership between DECAL and the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), to better support student parents in applying for subsidies that allow them to afford child care and continue their education.

Traditionally, families apply for child care subsidies by submitting an online or paper application and completing a phone interview with DECAL staff. The CAPS 2Gen Program provides support directly on college campuses through student parent consultants (SPCs), who help student parents navigate the subsidy application process. SPCs also help families find high-quality child care options and provide family-centered coaching and referrals to other supportive services.

As part of our evaluation of the CAPS 2Gen Program, Child Trends engaged student parents in a photovoice project (a participatory research method that uses photography to explore participants’ experiences and perspectives). Student parents who participated in the program took photos that reflect their experiences balancing school and parenting and captured the program's impact on their lives. They also wrote captions to accompany their photos and participated in group discussions to reflect on their experiences and identify common themes. In June, Child Trends hosted gallery walks at three TCSG campuses and the DECAL main office to showcase the 33 photos and captions from this photovoice project, along with key themes from the photos. Invitees included staff from the CAPS 2Gen Program, DECAL, and TCSG, along with student parents and their friends and families.

Below, we present the five themes that emerged from the photovoice project. The captions in this blog combine participants’ written reflections with quotes from their discussions. Each student parent also selected the name and description that appear alongside their captions.

Student parents in the CAPS 2Gen Program are resilient, navigating both school and parenting to pursue their goals.

Student parents in the program decided to go back to school to build a better life for themselves and their children. They recognized that being a student sets a powerful example for their children: “They see their mother working [toward] something that will be a better future for us all.” Although being a student parent can be challenging, many felt confident about finishing school while parenting—provided they have support. One student parent observed that many of the photos show “the resilience that we have as parents. Some of us are doing it with help, some of us are doing it without help, and we’re making it work. We’re in school, we’re being parents, we’re doing it.”

Student parents in the CAPS 2Gen Program encounter challenges balancing parenting and school.

Although the program's student parents learned to balance school, home life, and work, they still experienced challenges. For example, it can be difficult to find time to study while managing parenting demands. At the same time, because student parents did not want school responsibilities to detract from their ability to be present with their children, some individuals said they often had little time for themselves.

Student parents said that affordable child care through the CAPS 2Gen Program is essential for their success.

Student parents often relied on child care to study, attend classes, or work. The CAPS 2Gen Program helped parents find, maintain, and transition between high-quality child care arrangements, benefiting both parents and children. Knowing their children were safe, cared for, and supported gave student parents the “peace of mind” needed to fully engage in their education: “It’s one less thing to worry about because, as a single mom, it makes it so much easier to not have to find a babysitter and make sure they are trustworthy. So having [a child care subsidy] really changed my life in a major way.” By reducing the burden of child care costs, the CAPS 2Gen Program facilitated continued enrollment in school and freed up financial resources for other essential needs, such as housing, food, and transportation.

Student parents said they value and benefit from the CAPS 2Gen Program’s relationship-based support and referrals to other services.

The CAPS 2Gen Program made life easier for student parents who participated. CAPS 2Gen SPCs provided individualized case management, ongoing coaching, and informal check-ins, which reduced student parents’ stress and encouraged them to keep going. SPCs also proactively connected student parents to wraparound services that addressed broader needs (e.g., food, housing), helping sustain academic progress. One student parent noted, “[My SPC] helped me with everything … she gave me a whole bunch of resources … even if I didn’t need the help.”

The CAPS 2Gen Program has largely met its objectives, with opportunities to enhance its impact through additional supports.

Student parents in the CAPS 2Gen Program appreciated how the program alleviates the high cost and stress associated with securing child care, although it does not entirely eliminate challenges. Student parents suggested improvements such as increased financial assistance for child care, extended child care subsidy support that includes the transition from school to employment, and expanded program outreach and awareness efforts. Student parents also suggested strategies beyond the program that could further improve their daily lives: nontraditional hours for child care, financial assistance for unexpected costs, community-based programs, interpersonal support, and increased school schedule flexibility (e.g., online classes).