Bill Proposes Putting Pregnancy Centers on University Campuses

The roles of men and women are changing. Men are learning to be at home parents and women continue to try being superwoman and juggle family with work. As of late though, younger women have been juggling family and work with another aspect, school.

The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act of 2005 helps women attending school keep children close while finishing their education.

The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act is a proposed bill that would offer college institutions grant money to provide additional services to college parents.

Services include family housing, child care, maternity coverage, resources for mothers and children as well as education resources for mothers and fathers as to better support healthy marriages among other services according to Feminists for Life.

Feminists for Life started an outreach program for college students that gained momentum and found itself with the support of Senator Elizabeth Dole and congresswoman Melissa Hart.

The program has gained support though encouragement of women and men alike. The idea being that by making these facilities available to young parents, those who consider abortion because of a desire to finish school may be able to do both.

Before the bill, Feminists for Life was using outreach programs at some of the most prominent schools across the United States including Georgetown, Stanford, Northwestern and Berkeley.

Rather than avoiding the topic of pregnancy and the effects on one's life, students and educators alike spoke up about services that would benefit those with children. In 1999, Michigan started similar programs in four colleges and found the programs were extremely successful according to handouts from the group.

Part of the success of the program was that the needs of young mothers were finally being acknowledged and met. Feminists for Life were "sparking a new revolution on Campus[es]" according to information provided from the group.

The purpose is to give women another choice, a healthier alternative to abortion, by offering support and helping meet the needs of the mothers and fathers as well as children.

"I think that, seeing as Wright State is such a commuter school, a program like this would help encourage more young parents to continue their education. Offering support for all their students should be Wright State's number one priority," said Lauren Cuff, a sophomore liberal studies major.

The bill is named after Elizabeth Cady Stanton who is often noted for her participation at the Seneca Falls Convention and her beliefs in the rights of women.

For more information on the bill in Senate or the programs offered by Feminists for Life check out their website.