Pursuing a doctoral program like Logan University’s Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) is a tremendous commitment. But earning an advanced degree while raising children presents an entirely separate and often competing set of challenges.
“I moved to St. Louis from Tennessee to start the DC program at Logan somewhat last-minute,” said trimester 5 student Brittany Kidd. “When my husband and our son joined me during my first trimester, we struggled to find reliable child care because we were new to the area and didn’t know anyone.”
Brittany threw herself into researching local day care facilities and other child care options all while being a full-time student, wife and mother.
“I started working with Logan’s student involvement coordinators to take advantage of any resources that were currently in place for students with families,” Brittany said. “A few trimesters later, I connected with Kelsey Provost and Jared Hardina, two students who were in positions similar to the one I had been in during my first trimester.”
Kelsey, Brittany and Jared bonded over the struggles of being parents and students.
“For me, not having a personal recommendation from someone about child care in the area was tough,” said Kelsey, a split trimester 1 and 2 student. “It was so important to me to put my son somewhere he would have a good childhood. The three of us kept talking about how we wished there was a club on campus that would provide some of these additional resources.”
The trio started working on creating their own club: Parents as Chiropractors. After kicking off in September 2022, the 30-member club meets once per week with in-person and virtual options to provide more flexibility for busy schedules.
“Parents as Chiropractors offers resources like budgeting courses and child care facility lists, group tutoring options and study sessions, and overall moral support,” said Jared, a trimester 6 student. “Meeting other parents and having a support group has been so beneficial. We aren’t like most traditional students, so being surrounded by other people who know exactly what you’re going through has been incredible.”
In addition to providing resources to group members, the founders of Parents as Chiropractors are working with Logan to improve things like leave of absence procedures. They’re also in the process of planning fundraising opportunities to help group members who need financial assistance.
“The bottom line is that this program can be tough, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and alone,” Brittany said. “Parents as Chiropractors provides the needed morale booster or stress relief to remind you that there is always someone there to lend a helping hand.”
The group has grown close in a short period of time because of the support and companionship they provide for one another.
“No matter what our members need, we’ll be there to help them however we can,” said Jared. “That’s what families are for.”