MILWAUKEE — One in five undergraduate students are also parents, according to the American Council on Education. Those student-parents are faced with balancing the often-conflicting demands of higher education and family life.

That’s why Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) opened Little Stormers Village at its downtown Milwaukee campus. It’s a drop-in child care center for students with young children.

It’s been a big help for MATC student, Keyona Turner, who will be graduating this spring with a degree in nursing.

“It’s actually been a childhood dream of mine, that I’ve been chasing for a long time,” said Turner, who is also a single mother to a 5- and 10-year-old.

“I’m grateful for MATC because they have helped me overcome a lot of hurdles in life that I have encountered on this journey of trying to complete my education to become a nurse,” she said.

Students can leave their children, ages 6 months to 10 years old, for up to three hours. Attendance is free and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis with no reservations or pre-scheduling required. There is a registration and sign-in process. The door to the center is always locked and children can be picked up only by authorized parents or guardians.

MATC said they believe this is one of very few drop-in child care centers at community colleges in the country.

Little Stormers Village is for current or prospective MATC students who need a safe space for their children to stay, learn and play while they are conducting college-related business, such as applying for financial aid, meeting with an academic advisor or teacher, or studying for a test. It’s not for use while students are attending classes.

Sara Cappaert, the manager of scholarships for MATC, said the goal of creating Little Stormers Village is to help ease higher education barriers and hurdles for students who are also parents.  

“They’re trying to do it all, and so we wanted to make sure that they know that MATC is welcoming,” said Cappaert.“They’re trying to do it all, and so we wanted to make sure that they know that MATC is welcoming,” said Cappaert. “This is a student-parent friendly college, and they have a space so they can focus on themselves. In a time of expensive groceries and rent and everything else — like tuition — everything that students are going through, we don’t want this to be another barrier.”

Turner said it’s helped her get to graduation.

“My kids, they are my world, honestly, and it’s only me who takes care of them,” she said. “To have the support, it has helped me stay focused, and it just reassures me that no matter what, I have this space here for my kids when I need it.”

Little Stormers Village is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in M172, which is across the hall from the 6th Street Café on the first floor of the M Building — on the campus of MATC in downtown Milwaukee.