Pregnant or Parenting? Know Your Rights

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq., is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex—including pregnancy and parental status—in educational programs and activities.

All public and private schools, school districts, colleges, and universities receiving any Federal funds must comply with Title IX.

Lactation Room

ATCC has a quiet and private space for expressing milk or nursing your baby. For your convenience, there is a lactation room located in the Main Building on the ATCC campus. The lactation room includes a chair and table, and to ensure your privacy, the room is equipped with a locking mechanism. No reservations are required. Only breastfeeding/chest feeding individuals may use this space.

Lactation Room: Main Building – Room 107

If you have questions or concerns about the lactation room, please contact Public Safety and Health Services at 320-762-4415.

Open Hours

The Lactation Room is available when campus is open, typically 6:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Campus buildings will be closed on designated holidays.

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Child Care Resources

Begin Your Search for Child Care

Childcare Aware of Minnesota helps families walk through choosing the best childcare for them and their children by:

  1. Offering information on types of childcare.
  2. Using a search engine to get country/city specific information.
  3. Providing tools when choosing childcare such as a complete guide to finding childcare, questions to ask when interviewing childcare providers, how to pay for care find financial assistance, as well as what to consider for ADA/Special Needs Care.
  4. Educating on actions that can be taken to make using childcare easier for your family.
Finding Childcare:
Head Start on Campus

Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through agencies in their local community. Head Start preschool programs support the comprehensive development of children from three to five years of age to eligible ATCC Student Parents in a convenient on-campus location.

Making Child Care Provided by Relatives Work for Your Family

Child Care Assistance: This link brings you to a quick online screening to see if you may be eligible and gives you instructions on applying.  

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Pregnancy & Postpartum Resources

Children's Home Society & Family Services and Lutheran Social Services

Children's Home Society of Minnesota and Lutheran Social Services offer decision making counseling and complete adoption services to birth parents in Minnesota. Children's Home Society and Lutheran Social Services can facilitate any type of adoption, including agency, independent, and interstate adoptions. The agencies support open adoption, where the birth parents and adoptive parents meet, choose each other, plan the type of adoption based on the best interest of everyone involved, and maintain an ongoing relationship after placement. Located in St. Paul. Children's Home Society and Lutheran Social Services are licensed, nonprofits, nonsectarian agencies.

Alexandria Health Center

Located in Alexandria, Minnesota, Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care, and the nation’s largest provider of sex education. Planned Parenthood is open to all, with or without insurance.

Life Connections

Life Connections is a parenting resource and pregnancy support center located in Alexandria, MN. Life Connections "educates, trains, refers, guides, coaches, encourages and lifts everyone who wants more for themselves and more for their families: more knowledge, more options, more love, more peace."

Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Minnesota

Helpline: 612-757-7776

PPSM supports women who experience pregnancy or postpartum mood & anxiety disorders.  Peer volunteers are available for one-on-one ongoing support, and they host a support group. PPSM maintains a directory of perinatal specialists across Minnesota to support you in accessing competent care. Every specialist has been vetted to determine competency and advanced training in Perinatal Mental Health.

WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

The WIC program provides no-cost nutrition education, nutritious foods, and health services to those who are pregnant, breastfeeding/chestfeeding, or postpartum, as well as infants and children up to age 5. WIC serves more than half of infants born in the United States. Services and programs are based on income. WIC FAQ »

Work-Family Legal Helpline 833-633-3222

This free and confidential helpline assists workers nationwide facing various issues at work related to:

  • Sick leave
  • Family and medical leave
  • Pregnancy discrimination
  • Accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions
  • Discrimination based on being a parent or other caregiver
  • Fair scheduling
  • Equal pay (including inquiries from potential employers about salary history)

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Financial Resources

Post-Secondary Child Care Grant 

This grant helps Minnesota residents offset the cost of daycare needs to attend college. Funds are limited and awarded based on application date and income. Application forms are available from Financial Aid.

Milestones Early Learning Scholarships 

This scholarship provide families living in Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, or Wright County with financial support to help pay for high-quality childcare and early education to assist in preparing their children for school. Eligibility is based on income. There are also several options for Veteran and Military Childcare Assistance. For more information, please contact the Student Support Manager (contact info below).

Each prospective County has different family assistance programs: several cash assistance programs, childcare assistance, emergency assistance and SNAP (see below). Please call your county directly to learn about what programs you qualify for.

  • Douglas County Human Services: 320.762.2302
  • Pope County Human Services: 320.634.7755
  • Todd County Human Services: 320.732.4500
  • Stearns County Human Services: 320.656.6000
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP is a federal program paid for by tax dollars. SNAP helps families and individuals make sure they get the food they need. SNAP can be used like cash to buy fruits, vegetables, cereal, bread, meat, fish, dairy products and more. College students are eligible too.

Bridge to Benefits

Bridge to Benefits is a project by Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota to improve the well-being of families and individuals by linking them to public work support programs and tax credits. By answering a few simple questions, you will be able to see if you or someone else may be eligible for public work support programs.

Basic Needs Resources

Other basic needs resources are available at ATCC. Check out the Basic Needs Resources webpage for general financial, food, housing, jobs, health insurance and providers, mental health resources and transportation assistance.

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Central Contact:

 

Simi Welsch

Simi Welsch

EDI Director & Student Success Coach
ATCC-USNCC Advisor
Student Parent Navigator

simi.welsch@alextech.edu
320-762-4629 | Bio

I am a first-generation immigrant from Nigeria, but I’ve called Minnesota home for over 25 years! I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis and graduated with a B.A. in Communication and Leadership Studies from Minnesota State University Moorhead. That is where my passion for work in higher education was born. The transition to ATCC has been one that I am grateful for because my passions align closely to what the college is doing in the field of student health and equity. I’m excited to join the team as an advisor for our USNCC students.