SMC Resources
CARE Program (Cooperative Agencies & Resources for Education)
CARE Services
- Academic/Personal Counseling
- Educational Planning
- Vocational Assessment
- Tutoring
- Workshops
- Book and Supply Assistance
- Transportation Assistance
- Food Assistance: Bodega access, grocery cards
- Grants (Money to assist with childcare expenses and other school-related costs is awarded after disbursement of financial aid funds – awarded fall and spring if eligible.)
Contact: Call 310-434-4268 or email EOPSinfo@smc.edu
CalWORKs Program (The California Work Opportunities and Responsibilities to Kids Program)
In collaboration with DPSS
Program services include:
- Individual academic and career counseling
- Coordination and advocacy with the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)
- Priority Enrollment
- Work-study opportunities
- Workshops
- Referrals to campus and community resources
Contact: Call 310-434-4082 or email calworks@smc.edu
Mirza is a free, mobile-friendly platform that helps student parents find and apply for childcare subsidies — including CalWORKs childcare, state subsidy programs, Head Start, and local resources — all through one streamlined application.
- Any device. Works on any smartphone, tablet, or computer. No app download required.
- Multilingual. Available in English, Spanish, and ten other languages.
- Confidential. Student information is never shared with the college, an employer, or any third party without explicit permission.
- Free. No fees, no subscriptions, no cost to apply.
SMC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for pregnant and parenting students. Title IX makes it illegal to discriminate because of sex, which includes discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, or related conditions, including recovery. The law against sex discrimination covers all aspects of an educational program. This includes school-sponsored extracurricular activities and internships, athletics, financial aid and scholarships, career counseling, and lab and clinical work.
Title IX also ensures the right to take medically necessary leave and to be free of harassment, intimidation, or other discrimination because of pregnancy-related conditions. Further, any rules concerning parental, family, or marital status may not apply differently based on sex. For example, SMC cannot provide women with time to bond with or care for their children and not men.
Individuals must be allowed to take time off of school/work for pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, abortion and/or recovery for as long as their doctor says is medically necessary. That could mean a few absences for necessary medical appointments, or a longer leave of absence for a high-risk pregnancy or childbirth. This rule applies even if taking medically necessary leave would require an absence for longer than the school’s leave policy ordinarily allows. Students cannot be penalized for taking leave and must be able to return to school in the same status they held before taking leave.
Students and Employees may request reasonable accommodations as a result of pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions. Reasonable accommodations vary based on the individual’s circumstances but may include: academic accommodations and flexibility (such as breaks during class, excused absences, rescheduling of tests, extensions of deadlines, and alternatives to make up missed work); leaves of absences or changes in work schedules.
Federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act (opens in new window) Pregnancy Rights under the California Fair Housing and Employment Act
For more information about pregnancy and parenting go to the following websites: OCR Dear Colleague Letter and Handbook Title IX at the U.S. Department of Education and The Pregnant Scholar
Accommodations for Pregnant/Parenting Students
Students who wish to discuss or request accommodations based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, should contact the Center for Students with Disabilities.
Faculty and staff who wish to request a reasonable accommodation, including accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related condition, should contact Lugina Rogers at 310-434-4060 in the Office of Human Resources.
SMC has a number of Lactations rooms. Students who need to access these rooms should contact the Center for Students with Disabilitiesopens in new window). Faculty and staff who need to access these rooms should contact the Office of Human Resources, Lugina Rogers, Human Resources Analyst, Leaves & Benefits, at 310-434-4060 or email rogers_lugina@smc.edu.
To file a report of discrimination based on pregnancy or parental status, students should email: HumanResources@smc.edu or contact Eric Oifer, Ph.D., ADA/504 Compliance Officer, 310-434-8912, oifer_eric@smc.edu. To file a report of discrimination based on pregnancy or parental status, faculty and staff should email HumanResources@smc.edu.

