CEDAR CITY - When Southern Utah University closed its on-campus child care services last spring the impact was felt most by the school's students who relied on the low-cost service to stay enrolled in classes.
That jolt was eased this fall with a federal grant from the Department of Education's Child Care Access Means Parents in School program. The estimated 700 student-parents at SUU were given the opportunity to apply for the program that issues a stipend directly to the licensed providers to subsidize monthly fees.
"This is the first month I've gotten the funding but it's been a blessing because daycare is so expensive," said Teri Crawford, SUU sophomore majoring in nursing. "I have one child that needs daycare, and as a single mom, the expense of more than $200 a month was too much for me to do all on my own, especially since my ex-husband lost his job and (that) meant that I was losing a lot of (financial) support right there, too."
Crawford is one of 47 student-parents who qualified for the CCAMPIS program administered by SUU's Center for Women and Families. She was found eligible under certain income guidelines and was approved to receive $200 a month in exchange for one hour of volunteer service at her child's child care facility per week and participation in monthly parent meetings.
"It's been a huge blessing. They don't ask very much of you and that is a small price to pay for $200 a month," Crawford said. "I now only pay $40, is all."
SUU offered on-campus child care from a building on 200 West off University Blvd., owned by the Utah Shakespearean Festival. The festival used the old home during its performance season as a perk for patrons to attend plays while their children received babysitting care. SUU used the home during fall and spring semesters for child care services for student-parents and practicum opportunities for other students pursuing child development degrees.
The partnership ended last spring when the building was found not suitable for day-long child care services because of health and safety code violations and non-compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Furthermore, the festival chose to pursue its long-term goal to raze certain buildings in preparation for future construction of an Elizabethan Village as part of its planned Centre for the Performing Arts.
Beginning this month, the gap left from the disbanded partnership was filled by the funding allocated on a case-by-case basis to student-parents. An estimated 26 student-parents took advantage of the on-campus child care while the CCAMPIS grant has allowed for more than double that number to receive stipends.
"This support is a welcome relief to the alternative of either reducing course loads or taking on debt to cover the expense of child care," said Lynne Brown, executive director of the university's Student Support Center. "This grant is the silver lining of what seemed a very dark cloud for students who had once relied upon the university's campus child care facility."
The $58,650 grant program will provide financial assistance to student-parents with demonstrated financial need for the next four years and is renewable for subsequent years. The amount SUU was awarded from CCAMPIS was derived from 1 percent of the total Pell Grant awards the university receives. Though funding priority is given to three fully-accredited child care centers selected by the strength of their curriculum, level of certification and location, other licensed and certified centers in Cedar City are considered where the children of student-parents receive care.