Riverland students are getting a little help with children.

A new Riverland Parent Center opened Tuesday in partnership with the Austin-based Parenting Resource Center to provide support services to college-age pregnant and parent students. The center, located in Austin West, room A239, will be staffed by trained parent educators from the Parenting Resource Center and Riverland mentors Bruce Heiny, Juan Perales, and Andy Swank. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday through the end of the semester.

In October 2011, Riverland Community College was one of 10 colleges in Minnesota to receive a Young Student-Parent Support Initiative grant. The grant helps state, private, and tribal institutions of higher education start new student-parent help centers. These centers are designed to address the needs of college-age pregnant and parent students and increase access to and success to postsecondary education.

The Parent Educators and Riverland Mentors can be reached at 507-396-0436 or by email at parent.center@riverland.edu.