The upcoming U of T Family Care workshop, entitled “Choosing Child Care that Works for Your Family,” is one of their many workshops aimed at helping students cope with their responsibilities in both their home life and at university.
Since 1993, the Family Care Office has helped U of T students with families overcome obstacles so that they can achieve a post-secondary education.
“I think Family Care is a vital service because significant numbers of students have responsibilities for family members,” said Jan Nolan, Director of U of T’s Family Care Office. “We want students to feel really supported so they can get their studies done.”
Their services range from assistance in finding child-care and children’s programs, to care for elderly family members. They also offer an in-office resource centre with information on issues such as pregnancy, lesbian and gay parenting, parenting children with disabilities, and community resources.
Funded jointly by the university and students, the office emphasizes a very inclusive definition of “family,” so that any student may make use of their services.
“The University of Toronto is committed to fostering a family-friendly learning and working environment,” states their 2000-2001 Annual Report. “Any member of the university community is entitled, for the purposes of the office, to define family as it is most appropriate for his/her own circumstances.”
“We’re always working closely with student governments and individual students to stay on top of what their needs are and to help them fulfill those needs,” said Nolan.
While admitting, “We would always like more money,” Nolan believes the Family Care office is extremely efficient at using their funding to assist the maximum number of students possible. “In terms of the funding we receive for students, we’ve been very responsible in how we spend their money and we stretch their dollars a long way.”
The Family Care Office also offers training and work/study opportunities, hiring 6-8 students every year.
Students are not the only beneficiaries of their programs. The Family Care Office provides its services to staff and faculty as well as helping newly appointed faculty and their families adjust to life in their new city and environment.
There is an obvious need for their services, indicated by the rise in demand in the number of cases from 142 in 1993 to 1258 last year. The requests for help usually focus on child-care, financial planning, parenting, housing, legal referrals and support for aging family members.
Family Care sponsored over 30 workshops last year, which were attended by over 600 people. Some of the topics explored were “Parenting Children with Disabilities” and “A Parent’s Guide to the Internet,” as well as two sessions on cooking.
They also co-sponsored the annual workshop on “Financial Survival for Student Families,” which attracted 118 students, one of the largest attendances ever. “Students who have participated in this have found it extremely useful,” said Nolan.
One of their proudest accomplishments is the Father’s Group, where students, faculty and staff can come together to share stories and resources. This is a particularly important support group because, as their website notes, “Nobody gives you training to be a father and kids certainly don’t come with a user’s guide or an owner’s manual.”
Upcoming workshops include “Caring for Aging Family Members,” “Youth and Drugs: A Workshop for Parents” and “Body Image Issues for Mothers and Daughters.”
