Child development assistant Crystal Valencia plays in the sand with Anna Khafaji, 1, on the playground Feb. 15 at the early childhood center. Students who are enrolled in nine credit hours and are on a degree plan can qualify for childcare at the center. Deandra Gonzalez
Parents can apply for child care at the center for fall beginning in April.
Andrea Moreno
For individuals who are looking for child care, the early childhood center is available to students, faculty and staff at this college and as well the community.
The center takes applications for the fall starting through mid-April to the end of June, and applications can be downloaded from the college website, Coordinator Claudia Gonzalez said Feb. 12.
Applications for the spring are accepted mid-November through December, and the center is not open during the summer.
The center has no current openings, but the center will accept applications and place parents on a waiting list.
The waiting list does not ensure parents have a spot for their child for the current semester, Gonzalez said.
“If parents are on the waiting list, it depends on if we have any students drop child care services or not,” she said.
The availability of spots for children varies depending on the age group.
For fall, the center will have nine spots available for children age 12 months to 2 years. For ages 2-3 years, there will be 12 spots available.
For children 3-4 years old, there are 14 spots available, and for children 4-5 years old there will be 18 spots offered, Gonzalez said.
The early childhood enter is an educational lab facility that has been in motion since 1974, Gonzalez said Feb. 9.
The childhood center was accredited in 1986 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children,Gonzalez said.
Two grants help make the center affordable for student parents.
The CCAMPUS grant, Child Care Access Means Parents in School, helps pay part of the rate for student parents and accepts all majors, Gonzalez said.
The Carl Perkins grant also helps maintain a low rate for child services but is available only to student parents majoring in a professional and technical program at this college, she said.
“The requirements to qualify for the grants are for students here that are either receiving financial aid or not, must be enrolled for at least nine credit hours, and students must be under a degree plan signed by their adviser,” said Terri Sinclair, coordinator of early childhood studies, Feb. 8 in an interview.
“The younger the child the more you would have to pay, and some of the price ranges are high because the NAEYC is a high-quality center,” she said.
Students who receive financial aid pay $15 to $20 a week.
Students who do not receive financial aid pay $157 to $167 a week.
Parents from the community pay the full fee of $179 to $191 per week, she said.
“A $40 registration fee is also needed per semester depending on the child’s age,” Gonzalez said.
Parents with grant funds are required to attend three 1½ hour parent workshops and volunteer four hours in the center each semester.
Faculty, staff and community members who pay the full fee are not required to attend the workshops or volunteer but are welcome to participate, Gonzalez said.
Students taking early childhood studies classes at this college are required to work in the center as part of their lab hours.
“We teach students to work with young children,” Sinclair said.
For example, the students are taught math, language and science in the format a child will understand.
Hours for the center vary depending whether students are grant-funded.
Children of students who are part of the grants can remain in the center 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
For faculty, staff and community parents, the hours are 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The center is at 210 W. Ashby Place.
For more information, call 210-486-0530.
