The two universities in this valley treat student parents very differently. UVU runs a licensed childcare center for its students' children, a drop-in service and a grant that cuts the hourly rate. BYU, where roughly a fifth of students were married in recent years by the Daily Universe's count (23% in 2023, 19.5% in 2024), does not run childcare for infants and toddlers; its campus option is a preschool for four-year-olds. A student parent's plan starts with knowing which side of that line they are on.
This guide covers both campuses, then the money, which works the same way at either school, and the rights that protect pregnant and parenting students. For licensed childcare across the valley, including how Utah's license types and ratios work, see our childcare guide.
At UVU: a campus center, drop-in care and a grant
The Wee Care Center
Where and when. 1140 South Wolverine Way, Orem. For UVU's Spring 2027 semester, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hours follow UVU's academic and closure schedule and can change each semester.
Who. Children of current UVU student-parents, from 6 weeks to 6 years old. The enrollment page says care is provided during the parent's class hours and is for children of degree-seeking students.
How it is billed. Wee Care reserves a slot for your child on a 15-week financial agreement in UVU's fall and spring semesters, with 7- or 14-week agreements in summer. Finals week is not part of the agreement; you book drop-in care for those days.
The rate, and the discrepancy. In October 2026 UVU's own pages give two numbers. The Wee Care FAQ lists "$6.00 per hour per child"; the enrollment page lists "$9 per hour per child." There is also a $20 non-refundable registration fee each academic year, and credit card payments carry a 2.85% fee. Call 801-863-7266 and ask which rate applies before you sign the agreement.
The grant. UVU's Parents in School Grant subsidizes care for students taking at least six credits who have filed a FAFSA for the current year. Grant recipients pay between $1.50 and $5.50 per child per hour. Full-time students (12 or more credits) can receive up to 10 additional subsidized hours a week, part-time students (3 to 11 credits) up to 5. Eligibility is decided within two weeks of the semester's drop deadline; students who do not qualify pay the standard rate.
Getting in. Priority goes first to families with the greatest financial need, then to students near graduation and full-time students in face-to-face classes. For UVU's Spring 2027 semester, which runs January to April, registration for new families opened November 2, 2026 and closed November 16, with acceptance emails by December 4. Later applications are taken as space allows. Expect to submit immunization records, a child health assessment and a food program form, attend a parent orientation each semester, and use your UVU email for everything.
A note on names: UVU calls its January-to-April semester "Spring," which BYU calls "Winter." In a household with one student at each school, check which calendar a deadline means.
Hourly Kit Care, for the in-between hours
UVU's drop-in service is for appointments, meetings, study sessions and finals week rather than a weekly schedule. It is at 1130 South 400 West in Orem, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., takes children from 6 weeks to 12 years old for up to three hours a session, and costs $6 per hour per child, paid when you book. Capacity is small: UVU lists 8 openings for ages 0 to 2 and 23 for ages 3 to 12. Walk-ins are accepted when there is room. Any UVU student parent can use it without a contract. The phone is 801-863-4490.
At BYU: a preschool, family housing and private care
What BYU does not have
A February 2024 report in BYU's student newspaper, The Daily Universe, said plainly that BYU does not offer childcare for students, and that students with infants or toddlers use private providers. A spring 2026 Daily Universe story on student mothers again named only the BYU preschool as a campus option, with one student calling it "hard to get into" and "only for older kids." Until BYU announces otherwise, plan on off-campus care.
The BYU preschool
BYU's Child and Family Studies Lab runs a preschool and a kindergarten. For 2025-26, preschool tuition was $1,700 for the year, paid as a $170 deposit and nine monthly payments of $170. Children must be 4 by September 1. Classes run Monday through Thursday in morning or afternoon blocks of about two and a half hours.
Placement priority goes to dependent children of full-time employees, then full-time students, then community applicants, and the lab says placement is not first-come, first-served. Applications for 2025-26 were open January 15 to April 4, 2025, with acceptances by April 11; later applications went to a first-come waitlist. Watch the lab's site for the next cycle in early January.
This is preschool, not daycare: two and a half hours, four days a week. It helps a parent with a morning class; it does not cover a full schedule.
Family housing, which is the real BYU benefit
What BYU does offer student parents is housing. Wymount Terrace and Wyview Park are open to married students and to single students with dependent children, as long as one household member is a full-time day continuing BYU student. Both have playgrounds and lawns and are organized around family wards. The waiting list and the current Wymount rebuild are covered in our married and family housing guide.
Off-campus care near BYU
Most BYU student parents use licensed centers or licensed home providers off campus, or trade care with other families. Utah's license types, ratios and the questions to ask on a tour are in our childcare guide. When you call, ask whether a provider takes part-time or irregular schedules and how it bills them, since a class schedule rarely matches a standard full-time slot.
Groups for student parents
BYU has had a student mothers' club since March 2018, according to the Daily Universe, now listed as BYU Student Moms, a BYUSA club offering "a community of support and resources for student mothers." Other parents in the same classes are the quickest way to find babysitting swaps and backup care.
The money, at either school
Ask for the dependent care allowance. The 2026-27 Federal Student Aid Handbook says a student's cost of attendance can include an allowance for dependent care during class time, study time, field work, internships and commuting, based on the number and ages of the children and reasonable local costs. It adds that schools should tell students the allowance exists, "because students are often unaware" of it. A higher cost of attendance can raise the amount of federal loans and some aid you are eligible for. Bring your childcare receipts or a provider's rate sheet to the financial aid office. Current WIC, CHIP and Medicaid income limits are in our WIC and Medicaid guide.
File the FAFSA even if you think you won't qualify. UVU's childcare grant requires a FAFSA for the current year. Marriage alone makes a student independent under the 2026-27 handbook; our married students guide explains what that changes.
State childcare assistance. Utah's Department of Workforce Services runs childcare assistance for employed parents and for families receiving or applying for financial assistance, with an income limit of 85% of state median income during the review period. Apply through the myCase portal. Whether school hours count depends on your situation, so ask DWS directly.
Food and health. WIC serves pregnant women and young children, and Utah County's food pantries serve students; our food help guide covers both. For the insurance side of a new baby, including the 60-day enrollment window after a birth, see our health insurance explainer, and for the first months, the new parent survival guide.
Your rights as a pregnant or parenting student
Title IX protects pregnant students and new parents at both universities. BYU's Title IX office lists adjustments it may approve:
- Excused absences when medically necessary.
- The chance to make up missed work. Professors cannot refuse work missed because of pregnancy-related absences, and students should be able to return to their prior standing.
- Approval to leave class early to express milk.
- Approval to withdraw from a class after the add/drop deadline.
You only need to tell the university about a pregnancy if you want adjustments. BYU's office is in 1320 Wilkinson Student Center, 801-422-8692, title9@byu.edu. UVU students should contact UVU's Title IX office for the equivalent process.
The time to ask is early. Adjustments are easier to arrange at the start of a semester than after a missed midterm.
A semester plan for a student parent
- Two months out: apply for childcare (UVU's Wee Care, a BYU preschool spot, or a private provider), and file or update the FAFSA.
- One month out: ask financial aid to add dependent care to your cost of attendance; ask about the Parents in School Grant at UVU.
- When you register: cluster classes into the hours your care covers; consider online sections for the rest.
- First week: if you are pregnant or have a newborn, meet with the Title IX office; tell professors what you need.
- Before finals: book drop-in or backup care, because Wee Care's semester agreement does not include finals week.
- Every semester: find a pediatrician you can reach quickly; our pediatrician guide helps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does BYU have daycare for students' children?
How much does UVU's Wee Care Center cost?
What ages does UVU childcare take?
When do I sign up for UVU's Wee Care Center?
How much is the BYU preschool?
Can financial aid pay for childcare?
What rights do pregnant students have at BYU?
Can a single parent live in BYU family housing?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Cost of Attendance (Budget), 2026-2027 Federal Student Aid Handbook, U.S. Department of Education. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Filling Out the FAFSA Form, 2026-2027 Federal Student Aid Handbook, U.S. Department of Education. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Child care assistance, Utah Department of Workforce Services. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Wee Care Center FAQ, Utah Valley University. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Wee Care Childcare Enrollment, Utah Valley University. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Hourly Kit Care (drop-in child care), Utah Valley University. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Preschool registration, BYU Child and Family Studies Lab. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Pregnancy and Related Conditions, BYU Title IX Office. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Housing options: family, BYU Residence Life. Checked October 20, 2026.
- BYU Moms Club founders comment on lack of campus resources for student parents, The Daily Universe (BYU). Checked October 20, 2026.
- Always on the clock: BYU student moms balance academics and motherhood, The Daily Universe (BYU). Checked October 20, 2026.
