But that’s exactly what the HSU Children’s Center has done for more than 40 years. Now, with the help of a $1.6 million grant through the federal government’s Early Head Start program, the center will be able to improve and expand the services it provides to HSU students, staff, and faculty.
Early Head Start—Child Care Partnerships grants are designed to help day centers provide high-quality child care for low-income families with infants and toddlers. The HSU Children’s Center will receive $321,000 each year for the next five years. The grant includes additional support: professional development support for staff, plus training—such as teaching staff how to screen for potential developmental disorders—and technical assistance.
“We’re thrilled to get this grant,” said Susan Rosen, the center’s director and an HSU alumna. “We hold ourselves to very high standards—we’re nationally accredited and we have wonderful, highly educated and experienced teachers—this funding will support our efforts to provide free or very low cost high quality infant and toddler care to our community.”
Funding will go toward reducing class sizes for their toddler program, allowing teachers to give more personal attention to children, said Rosen. The center also plans to expand services to infants as young 3 months.
The grant couldn’t have come at a better time.
According to Rosen, the state is required to fund various programs; child care, however, is not one of them. Over the last 10 years, the state has reduced funding for child care programs, including HSU’s. As a result, child care programs across the state have been hit by budget cuts over the years, eventually forcing some to shutdown, said Rosen.
A division of Student Affairs and subsidized by Humboldt State, the center was established in 1971 by student parents who needed affordable child care. The center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a major accrediting body, and currently serves children ages 1 to 5. Although the children of HSU staff and faculty are eligible to enroll, Rosen says the center’s main mission is to serve students.
“Our student families are usually from Central or Southern California, and when they come here, they find themselves in a new community and far from their families and friends,” said Rosen. “Many also don’t have transit, so having a child care center on site is essential.”
During the 2013-2014 academic year, the center served 82 student parents. Rosen estimates that approximately 92 percent of student parents graduate. Nationwide, there are 3.9 million student parents enrolled as undergraduates in colleges and universities, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). Still, the IWPR found that only 49 to 57 percent of two- and four-year public colleges and universities, and 7 to 9 percent of two- and four-year private colleges and universities offer childcare facilities.
“HSU Children’s Center has been consistently supported by the entire University community, through good and challenging budgets,” said Rosen. “Our mission is consistent with the mission and goals of HSU—to meet the needs of a diverse student body and to support underserved student populations.
Having a trusted, accessible Children’s Center on campus allows students to focus on their education while knowing their children are cared for in a safe, engaging environment.”
Last year, Congress set aside $500 million in grants, which are administered by the Administration For Children and Families (ACF) and awarded to entities that are or will be a high quality Early Head Start program. For a list of preliminary winners and more information on the grant, go to the ACF’s website.