SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A lack of day care services at Aurora College could be preventing women with families from getting an education, according to two students currently attending the school.

Mothers Jocelyn Apps and Michelle Bourque, who are both Aurora College students, say the lack of day care services offered at the school is a burden to women who are trying to get an education. - Cody Punter/NNSL photo

"It's a huge barrier to getting an education," said Jocelyn Apps. "Anyone who's trying to get an education should be supported in doing that and childcare is one way to support people."

Apps is in her fourth and final year as a nursing student at the college and just had her first child over the summer.

Apps is fortunate that her partner has been able to take care of their six-month-old son, however, she said not all women at the college have that luxury.

Michelle Bourque is a case in point. She is a first year social work student who has a two-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter.

The father of her children had previously helped take care of their children but that arrangement has recently changed.

As a result, Bourque has had to take a part-time job working at the Salvation Army in order to pay for day care for her two-year-old son.

Bourque said juggling school, a job and raising two children is jeopardizing her chances of passing.

"It's been a detriment to my schooling," said Bourque. "I've missed so many assignments already. I don't know if I'll even pass the semester. "

She said that because she is a single mother who works nights and studies during the day, she barely gets to spend time with her children.

Although her family is her first priority, she said education is extremely important to her.

"It's one of those things that I've always valued in my life," said Bourque.

Jane Arychuk, president of Aurora College, said the school's administration has looked into offering day care, but there is neither the space nor the funding to accommodate the service.

Apps pointed out that most post-secondary institutions across Canada, including Nunavut Arctic College and Yukon College, offer day-care and childcare services to their students. She said the number of mature students at Aurora College makes the lack of day care all the more startling.

"It's a college where a lot of the population are mature students and they likely have kids," said Apps.

Arychuk said Aurora College has studied both the Yukon's and Nunavut's day care models. She said their services are not provided for free.

"They have private organizations that run day cares on their space," she said.

Arychuk said students in need of help can apply for a subsidy from the GNWT's Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

"They can provide support for low income students," said Arychuk.

Bourque and Apps said they both applied for the GNWT's child care user subsidy, but were not eligible for assistance.

Without childcare being offered at the college, Bourque and Apps said some mothers have resorted to bringing their children to class with them.

Dr. Pertice Moffitt, a teacher in the nursing program at Aurora College, said there are several parents currently bringing babies to her classes. She said for the most part, the children do not disturb the class. However, she said not every student appreciates having a child in the classroom.

"It makes for tension and it is distracting. It is not the ideal situation," said Moffitt.

Moffitt said the lack of day care affects not just students but teachers too.

Moffitt could not speak on behalf of the school's administration but said she hoped that the school would one day have a day care facility.

"To have a day care here would be a wonderful thing," said Moffitt. "It's something that has been a concern for students for a long time.

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