Graduate students faced with the additional task of being a parent may now experience some relief.
The Graduate Professional Student Association passed a bill which will subsidize evening child care for children of graduate students.
The bill was passed Monday by the GPSA Senate and went into action Tuesday. A total of $17,200 was set aside for the evening child care subsidy program. “With all the expenses to a student and parent, this will help,” GPSA President Jessica Moore said . There will be 84 passes available each week for graduate students. These passes will entitle evening care for one child. The passes will be given out at the graduate student’s office in the CUB on Monday on a first-come, first-served basis. The GPSA believes the program will make a significant difference for the average graduate student with a child and a busy schedule. “This program gives graduate students a chance to catch up with school work,” said Janice Louie, chair of the GPSA child care committee. "Having children is a big responsibility and having those three hours to catch up is an important thing."
The GPSA coordinated with the WSU Children’s Center to pass the bill. Children who take part in the evening child care subsidy program will stay at the center from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. “We are a very high quality center and (graduate students) should be comforted that their kids will be here,” said Sandi Klingler, administrative manager for the WSU Children’s Center. The GPSA child care committee plans to streamline the program over time by creating a system where parents will be able to sign their children up for the evening program online without having to pick up tickets at the graduate student office.
“There’s definitely a lot of work we need to do to perfect the system. It helps those who have financial burdens to have this at no cost for them,” Louie said. With a slow economy, the new bill aims to alleviate the financial burdens of tuition, living expenses and daycare for graduate students with children. “As a result, with the way the economy has been, it’s coming back to the students. We thought having a service to that part of the community was important,” Moore said. As the evening care program continues to takes develop, the committee will work to “evaluate the program and make it more efficient and equitable,” Moore said. Klingler believes the evening child care subsidy programs will benefit graduate students and the WSU Children’s Center.