Because so many young women feel forced to choose between their baby and their education, an organization called Room at the Inn is building the nation’s first college-based maternity and after-care facility, providing pregnant college women with the option of continuing their education while having their baby. This center will be built on the grounds of Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina, where the Benedictine Monks donated the land.
I was privileged to speak at the ground-breaking ceremony yesterday morning. The moms will have the help of a twenty-four hour professional staff and a caring and supportive environment before, during and after their pregnancy, while being just moments away from the classes they can take, with credits transferable to their own college or university. This can be a model for similar initiatives nationwide.