This article by Green and Robeson describes how many on-campus child cares across the country that closed in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic will not reopen, because of budgetary shortfalls, institutional priorities, and other concerns.

"There are 3.8 million student parents in the United States — nearly a quarter of the undergraduate student population. While studies of student parent experiences show their capability, intelligence, and determination, they often struggle to complete their degrees due to compounding disadvantages. They are disproportionately low-income and students of color, especially Black women; nearly one in two Black female undergraduates is a mother. In addition, one in three first-generation college students is a parent. For these families, higher education is a path to economic mobility for both themselves and their children.

Research has identified child care as the most critical support service student parents need to be successful in college. Child care centers and programs located on campus best allow student parents to balance parenting with college." [...]

"Yet, according to researchers at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the number of campus child care centers in the United States declined between 2003 and 2015: public four-year institutions offering on- campus child care dropped from 55 to 49 percent, while community college centers dropped from 53 to 44 percent during the same period. The most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that slightly less than half of U.S. postsecondary institutions offer on-campus child care programs. Now, with the COVID- 19 pandemic, even more will close."