As any parent can attest, raising young children is demanding and unpredictable. Adding work or school into the mix can be a lot to juggle, especially when childcare plans can fall through at a moment’s notice.

That’s where a new Washington State University Tri-Cities campus resource aims to help. Dubbed the “Coug Family Corner” and located in the Learning Commons area of the Consolidated Information Center, it’s a room where student parents and caregivers can bring their children or young relatives to campus on a short-term basis while attending to their studies at the same time. Furnished and stocked with a wide assortment of kid-friendly books, games and activities on one side of the room, the other half includes a conference-style table intended for student work and—if necessary—small group meetings.

The newly renovated space launched at the beginning of the fall semester and is available on a first-come, first-served basis to any student who needs it. To use the Coug Family Corner, students simply need to sign a check-in form, noting their agreement to a brief list of guidelines, which includes a requirement that student caregivers must remain with their children at all times.

WSU Tri-Cities student Cristal Sternfeld (left) and director of student engagement and leadership Evelyn Martinez-Ostrom bring their children to the Coug Family Corner in the Learning Commons.

“It’s a great resource for student parents or anyone who needs to watch a younger sibling,” Cristal Sternfeld, a junior pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing, says. “It’s safe, comfortable and gives you the chance to get homework done while keeping your child close by.”

As the parent of a 2-year-old daughter, Sternfeld says she has used the space a few times this semester already.

“One time I came to campus just to pick up a book and brought my daughter with me. Since I had an assignment due that day, I decided to stop by the family corner,” she says. “It ended up being the perfect spot. I was able to finish my assignment, and my daughter stayed busy and happy playing in the space.”

According to Evelyn Martinez-Ostrom, WSU Tri-Cities’ director of student engagement and leadership, that’s precisely the kind of scenario university leadership had in mind when creating the Coug Family Corner this past summer.

“What if we created a space on campus where students could bring their children in unexpected situations?” Martinez-Ostrom says. “Say your childcare fell through but you still need to come to campus. Maybe this can be a way to get your work done, even if your kid happens to be with you.”

Martinez-Ostrom says the Coug Family Corner was spearheaded by a special committee on which she served with other WSU Tri-Cities department representatives—including staff from the Office of Advancement and Facilities Services Department. That committee had been tasked by the Advisory Council Tri-Cities with exploring new ideas for bringing childcare support to campus.

The Coug Family Corner space was developed by a special committee tasked with meeting the needs of student parents who balance their studies and childcare.

“We’re kind of in a childcare desert out here,” Martinez-Ostrom, who also became a first-time mom around the time of the group’s formation, says. “We talked about what was realistic for us.”

Ultimately, the committee landed on the idea for Coug Family Corner and identified an underutilized location in the Learning Commons that had previously housed the Learning Glass, a room used primarily for online instruction during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for the room’s renovation, including supplies and furniture, came from the College of Nursing’s social work program.

Now that the space is open, Martinez-Ostrom says she hopes to spread the word about Coug Family Corner not only to students, but also to student-facing staff and faculty who might be able to use the space as an alternative meeting location when students are accompanied by their children.

“It’s important to have an understanding from everyone on campus about this resource so that they can know how to accommodate that student in need,” Martinez-Ostrom says. “That’s really step one to being a more family-friendly institution for our students.”

As more students begin to take advantage of the resource, Martinez-Ostrom says she welcomes any feedback that will help make Coug Family Corner more useful and accommodating to more people.

For her part, Sternfeld says she appreciates having a family-friendly space on campus where she can go when the need arises. “It makes being a student parent feel more supported, and it helps reduce some of the stress of balancing school and childcare,” she says.