Single Mothers Getting a College Degree AND Affording Child Care
The Jeremiah Program
How many women in your community are single mothers who would like to get a college degree, but will not put the needs of her own before her children? There are single women all over who are trying to provide a home for their young kids. However, they do not have affordable child care to help them look after their children while they try to work or even get a higher level of education. Today I am going to share information about a program whose main priority is to help single mothers and/or low-income families. This program is called the Jeremiah Program. It helps provide single mothers with affordable high-quality child care and an early childhood education, all while supporting the mother in going to school and earning a degree. The Jeremiah Program is one of the most successful programs for having an impact on poverty levels around the country and they are impacting two generations at a time. No matter their age, race, or financial hardship, the Jeremiah Program welcomes all who are interested in the program and meet the program requirements.
Free to use photo by Lucretius Mooka
High-Quality Affordable Child care Through the Jeremiah Program
The Jeremiah Program was founded in 1993 by a man named Michael O’Connell in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The first campus was opened to members in 1998 and has been expanding ever since. Today the program has locations in nine different cities nationwide. The Jeremiah Program is continuously looking to expand in new cities both in residential and non-residential areas. In the program, there is an opportunity to live on a residential campus or go through the program in a non-residential area. The program provides a variety of opportunities for all different lifestyles.
The program is a national leader in long-term poverty and other barriers that single parents must overcome in their lives. This program helps single mothers complete college, advance in their careers, and care for their children, and their children’s development, all at the same time. The Jeremiah Program also has access to other resources to help the kids and mothers academically. The mission behind the Jeremiah Program is “when a mother invests simultaneously in her personal and professional goals and the education of her children, she can re-author her family’s outcome and act as a change agent within her community.” As a mother starts her journey through the Jeremiah Program there are many steps along the way to help both her and her children excel throughout the program. The Jeremiah Program believes that no mother should have to choose between investing in herself or supporting her children and family.
The program has an increase in the number of participants every year. In 2022, the Jeremiah Program predicted a 47% increase in the number of participants for the next year, and of their existing participants, 85% of them would recommend the program to their friends and family in need. Families that have gone through this program have reflected on their time spent in it and the impact it had on their lives. Mothers realized that they changed the trajectory of their own lives as well as their children’s lives. This program has had such an impact on the women who had been through the program that they wanted to give back to the Jeremiah Program. Alumni members go back to share their own stories about how the program changed their lives. These alumni will also help as coach, volunteer, or even donate their own money back to the program.
Jeremiah Program Locations:
· Minneapolis, Minnesota
· St. Paul, Minnesota
· Fargo-Moorehead, North Dakota-Minnesota
· Rochester, Minnesota
· Boston, Massachusetts
· Brooklyn, New York
· Las Vegas, Nevada
· Baltimore, Maryland
· Austin, Texas
Mothers who qualify for the Jeremiah Program include:
· Have at least 1 child under the age of five.
· Pursuing a 2- or 4-year degree.
In turn, the mothers are assisted with:
· Obtaining high-quality and affordable child care.
· Safe and affordable housing.
· Regular family coaching.
The pillars of the Jeremiah Program include:
1. College access and career support.
2. Quality early childhood education.
3. Reliable child care.
4. Safe and affordable housing.
5. Empowerment.
6. Leadership and career training.
7. A supportive community.
Free to use photo by Polesie Toys
Why Learn About the Jeremiah Program?
In the Fargo-Moorehead location alone in 2022, the Jeremiah Program touched 238 lives, giving 22 families affordable housing and 40 kids benefitted from the educational development opportunities. In 2022 the Jeremiah Program had 2,233 Moms and children enrolled and 852 families enrolled. By 2023, the program was expected to increase by 1,490 Moms and children in their nine locations. These numbers are just of those that have been enrolled within the last few years, there are so many more families, women, and children that have been helped since the program was founded in 1993. Adding nine locations allowed them to reach many more people.
The Jeremiah Program makes it possible for single mothers or low-income families to better themselves while still being able to care for their young children. By providing child care for single mothers and families this program allows for mothers to get a college degree. In turn, when they are done with the program mothers can get a higher-paying job to be able to afford a reliable child care facility, where she does not have to worry about their safety. While the mother is working through the Jeremiah Program, the children go through many educational options that will help with their growth and development. This gives kids a jumpstart on their education. Providing both the mother and kids with all kinds of opportunities allows for personal, professional, and financial growth for those families and communities. These women can make a difference in their own lives, their child’s life, and the lives that surround them in their homes and communities.
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Jeremiah Program