[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-582896-105":59,"doc-detail-582896-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","parenting-students-barriers-to-basic-needs-in-calworks-research-findings","Parenting Students’ Barriers to Basic Needs in CalWORKs - Research Findings","","Research explores barriers faced by parenting students participating in CalWORKs, California’s cash assistance program for families with children. Findings emphasize how high costs and inadequate, hard-to-access public support affect core needs: housing, child care, transportation, and physical and mental health. Interviews and survey results show difficulty in meeting multiple needs, with measurable impacts on school progress, including course dropout and taking leaves. Support shortfalls are highlighted across CalWORKs cash adequacy and access to additional services.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/parenting-students-barriers-to-basic-needs-in-calworks-research-findings/582896/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/parenting-students-barriers-to-basic-needs-in-calworks-research-findings/582896.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Rhys","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-12","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":39},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What research was conducted and which program does it focus on?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"In 2022, the Center for the Study of Social Policy and Project SPARC conducted research on barriers experienced by parenting students participating in CalWORKs, California’s cash assistance program for families with children.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Which basic needs were highlighted as difficult for parenting students to meet?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"The brief highlights housing, child care, transportation, and physical and mental health as areas where parenting students experience major barriers.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How do basic needs challenges affect parenting students’ education?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Challenges with child care, housing, health, and transportation can lead parenting students to drop courses or leave school entirely, including taking leaves for mental or physical health challenges.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},582896,1792209642,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":39,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":39,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":46,"preview_page_count":4},687207024643,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","Parenting students work hard everyday to pursue their goals, often juggling work, classes, and caregiving responsibilities. Public systems and programs can provide critical support, but frequently create additional hurdles for parenting students and their families—especially those with low incomes. In 2022, the Center for the Study of Social Policy and Project SPARC conducted research to better understand the barriers experienced  \nby parenting students participating in CalWORKs, California’s cash assistance program for families with children.  \nThis brief highlights findings from the research on parenting students’experiences meeting their basic needs, including securing housing, child care, transportation, and taking care of their physical and mental health. The high costs of meeting basic needs and inadequate and inaccessible government assistance creates barriers for parenting students as they pursue their educational certificates and degrees.  \n“  \nIf I didn't have to worry about [my family’s] basic needs…then I would be in a better frame of mind to pursue my goals .”  \n—DEREK, A FATHER TO A YOUNG SON AND A STUDENT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA  \nThe daily struggle to meet basic needs makes it difficult for parenting students to achieve their goals for themselves and their families.  \nIn our interviews and survey of parenting students participating in CalWORKs, most reported difficulty meeting one or more basic needs—including housing, child care, mental health, and transportation. For many parenting students, these struggles to meet basic needs can compound each other.  \nFor example, some parenting students explained that because stable housing isunaffordable, they are unhoused or live in a motel room with their children, which in turn makes it more difficult to cook food they can purchase with their CalFresh, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), benefits—leading to food insufficiency. Others shared how they have difficulty finding a child care provider they trust or a health care provider who takes Medi-Cal, and ultimately have to travel long distances for care—straining their transportation budgets as they pay more for public transportation or gas and upkeep on their cars. As these challenges compound, it makes it more difficult for parenting students to pursue their goals for themselves and their families.  \nDifficulty meeting basic needs directly impacts parenting students’ progress in school. Parents report that child care, housing, health, and transportation challenges lead them to drop courses or leave school entirely.  \nChild care  \n“  \nIf I had child care, I would be much more readily available in school, and I would dowell.”  \n—DEREK, A FATHER TO A YOUNG SON AND A STUDENT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA  \n45%  \nof parenting students report having dropped a course because of child care challenges.  \nHousing  \n24%  \nof parenting students report they have been unhoused in the last year.  \n28%  \nof parenting students report having dropped a course because of housing challenges.  \nWe define “unhoused” to include staying ata shelter, staying with friends or family temporarily, and/or living on the streets.  \n“[Parenting students] have to  \ntake less school because they don't have a place to live…You have to have a place in order foryour kids to go to school, in order for you to go to school. You can't go to school if your kids aren't in school and in astable home .”  \n—ALYSSA, A MOM TO A YOUNG DAUGHTER AND A STUDENT IN INLAND EMPIRE  \nMental and physical health  \n26%  \nof parenting students report having taken a leave from school because of mental health challenges.  \n22%  \nof parenting students report having taken a leave from school because of physical health challenges.  \n“  \nI am the breadwinner, so mixing that with a full-time load of class was extra difficult. Making sure that my son gets the programs that he needs for his disability… I have a disability [too] . All my life, I didn't know it was a disability fo","cbCaihdK3nKvbDkN","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihdK3nKvbDkN","pdf",910666,"English","# Key Findings\n## Basic Needs Barriers\n## Housing Challenges and School Impact\n## Child Care Challenges and Course Dropout\n## Health Needs and Leaves from School\n## Transportation Constraints\n## Limits of CalWORKs Cash and Other Supports","[{\"question\":\"What research was conducted and which program does it focus on?\",\"answer\":\"In 2022, the Center for the Study of Social Policy and Project SPARC conducted research on barriers experienced by parenting students participating in CalWORKs, California’s cash assistance program for families with children.\"},{\"question\":\"Which basic needs were highlighted as difficult for parenting students to meet?\",\"answer\":\"The brief highlights housing, child care, transportation, and physical and mental health as areas where parenting students experience major barriers.\"},{\"question\":\"How do basic needs challenges affect parenting students’ education?\",\"answer\":\"Challenges with child care, housing, health, and transportation can lead parenting students to drop courses or leave school entirely, including taking leaves for mental or physical health challenges.\"}]","Parenting Students’ Barriers to Basic Needs in CalWORKs - Research Findings | PDF",1792044847]