A research pillar was introduced to the Service in September 2010 with the aim of sharing the learning of the service by producing a series of resource materials for use/adaption by other third level colleges.
The first resource, the Information Guide for Student Parents and Expectant Parents at Third Level, was researched and produced by Nicola Hurley (Student Parent Support Co-Ordinator) and Lorraine Whisker (Independent Researcher) in consultation with the HSE CPP and other stakeholders. Following a successful pilot phase in 2011, the Guide was launched in November 2012. The second edition was published in November 2013.
This Guide brings together information for students who experience crisis pregnancy while at college and student parents, both within and returning to education and for those who provide supports to this target group. It aims to capture the reality of the 260 expectant students and student parents who have engaged with the MIC Student Parent Support Service since it began. Their college experience is dramatically different from that of the ‘average’ student and the guide is the culmination of the learning from these experiences.
The most recent online guide was published in April 2019. This handbook is a revised version of the original ‘Information Guide for Student Parents and Expectant Parents at Third Level’ which was launched nationally in November 2012, disseminated to all Irish third level institutions and published on the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme website. To download a copy click on the Info Guide.
The service has also produced a series of fact sheets, which aim to provide information and advice for expectant parents and student parents at third level. They cover a range of topics, from how to balance family responsibilities and studies to access and custody. Click on the title below to read the pamphlet.
Study Skills and Time Management