This June, following Washington University Graduate Workers Union (WUGWU)’s months-long combination of frequent protests and a lengthy occupation of Brookings Quadrangle, Washington University raised its minimum wage to $15 per hour. Though this step is a victory for University employees and independent contractors, WUGWU’s work is not done⁠—and neither is the University’s.

WUGWU advocates for a $15 minimum wage and free childcare for every Wash. U. employee. Even with the recent success in raising the minimum wage, neither of these demands have been met—the wage increase affects University employees and contractors, but not graduate or undergraduate students. Free childcare is not offered.

Currently, the University runs two childcare facilities: the Family Learning Center (FLC) on North Campus and the Washington University Nursery School on Danforth Campus. It also partners with the University City Children’s Center (UCCC). Of these three facilities, only the FLC provides childcare for infants, and it can only accommodate 24 infants. None of these facilities offer free childcare to Wash. U. employees or graduate students, though the UCCC offers priority enrollment and the FLC and Nursery School only enroll children of University-affiliated parents.

In order to enroll at the FLC, a University employee or graduate student must fill out an application with a nonrefundable $150 application fee to be placed on the center’s extensive waitlist. Upon admission, each child’s tuition (for infants and toddlers) is $1800 per month. No discounts are available for part-time care or for siblings.

Currently, this lack of available childcare through the University reflects an expectation that graduate students will not have children. If graduate student workers had been included in the $15 per hour minimum wage increase, their stipend would equal $31,000 per year, or $2,583 per month. However, they were not. Current graduate stipends are less than this amount, meaning that for a graduate worker to enroll their child in the FLC, they would need to spend more than two-thirds of their paycheck on childcare alone. This is unreasonable.

Wash. U. has taken steps to improve socioeconomic diversity. 2020 marks the graduation of the first class of Deneb STARS, a group for low-income and Pell-Grant-eligible students. The percentage of Pell-Grant-eligible students has increased from 6% in 2015 to 15% of the Class of 2022, and Chancellor Martin has stressed the importance of increasing socioeconomic diversity at the University. Last semester, he launched grants to help first-years offset the costs of starting college and began working toward a need-blind undergraduate admissions process. At his inauguration last week, Martin announced free tuition for low-income Missouri and Southern Illinois students. The Student Life Editorial Board commends Chancellor Martin for his strides in creating socioeconomic diversity, as these are important measures. However, socioeconomic diversity does not end at the undergraduate level.

Graduate students of low socioeconomic status are affected by childcare costs significantly more than those of a higher socioeconomic status. Providing free childcare would make higher education much more accessible to those students who, due to the costs of childcare, could be forced to choose between their children and their education.

However, free childcare is not only an issue of accessibility. It should be seen as an investment in the University community. Recently, the University has poured millions into renovations of the East End and Sumers Recreation Center. They beautified the campus and provided new and updated amenities. If money is being invested into these beautifications and expansions, childcare should be a part of that investment as well. Providing better access to childcare allows graduate students to be freed of an impending financial burden, allowing them to contribute more to the University and their work. It’s a worthwhile investment for the University as it overall improves campus life, thus benefiting Washu. U.’s bottom line.

Making University childcare more accessible and free to graduate students and employees is an investment in the University’s future. It will attract more students of varied socioeconomic status to the University and prompt greater involvement in the University community. With all the ongoing updates to Wash. U., it’s time for the childcare policy to be updated as well. The minimum wage increase and efforts to increase socioeconomic diversity should be applauded, but the University isn’t done yet.