Owning Our Future

A capital campaign to fully own the Baby Steps Auburn house

We’re laying the groundwork to take an important step in our story! We can’t wait to invite you to be a part of it.

Something Big is Coming…

The Auburn House is where Baby Steps began and where our mission took root. Today, the house continues to provide a place of consistency during one of the most challenging seasons of a Student-Mom’s life.

As we look toward the future, we know one thing for certain: this house must remain a permanent place of stability for the Student-Moms of today and the generations who will follow.

Purchase the House

Baby Steps has a rare opportunity to purchase the Auburn property that makes it possible for Student-Moms to have both their education and their baby.

  • Student-Mom studying while her baby draws in her lap

    "A step that made a big difference in my journey was moving into the Baby Steps house. It made the reality of going to college and being a mom feel real and possible."

    — Riley

  • Baby Steps alumni Tyneshia with her child on graduation day and a cap that says pregnancy and seizures didn't stop me

    “Had I not found Baby Steps, I probably would have dropped out because she needed me more to be a mother than a student.”

    —Tyneshia

  • Baby Steps student-mom in her cap and gown on graduation day while holding her baby

    "Baby Steps allowed me to raise my daughter in a peaceful and stable environment. They gave me the ability to focus on school so that I could build the future my daughter and I deserve."

    —Sidney

The Data Shows…

Housing prices have increased 95% over the last 10 years.

From 2015 to 2025, tuition has increased by 24.54% while the cost of living for college students has risen more than 20%.

The student population has gone up 25% in the last decade.

Meet the Committee

Cary Chandler

Baby Steps President & CEO

Michelle Schultz

Auburn Hub Executive Director

Phillip Cowart

Committee Co-Chair

Greg Williams

Committee Co-Chair

Austin LeCroy

Committee Member

Leslie Chapman

Committee Member

Claire Goldman

Committee Member

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes! We have to raise the funding to purchase and close on the Baby Steps House in Auburn by December 31, 2026.

  • Baby Steps can house 7 Student-Moms at the Baby Steps property. We also empower Community Student-Moms who do not live on the property but need additional resources and support.

  • Baby Steps officially opened its doors to our house and began serving Student-Moms at Auburn University in 2017. 

  • $1.7 Million to Purchase Property

    $315,000 for Renovation + Repairs 

    $500,000 for Operational Endowment

  • Yes! Currently Baby Steps rents the house at market rates. If we can purchase the house with no debt our operational costs will go down by about $80,000 per year. However, as owners we will then be responsible for maintenance, repairs, and upkeep of the property, so we have included funding for renovations and operational endowment in our budget.

  • Baby Steps searched for a comparable property similarly close to Auburn University’s campus. The search revealed what we always suspected: our current house is ideally configured to serve our mission.

  • Baby Steps’ graduation rate for Resident Student-Moms is over 85% compared to Auburn University’s graduation rate being 82%.