Children's Center Awarded Four-Year Grant

Federal Funding to Aid Low-Income Parents Attending College

October 20, 2009

The Cal State Fullerton Children’s Center, a program of Associated Students Inc., has received a U.S. Department of Education grant to help low-income parents attend the university by making on-campus child care services available to them.

The campus has received $248,117 in first-year funding of a four-year Child Care Access Means Parents in School grant expected to total more than $992,000.

Up to 40 such families could be served annually as a result of the grant.

Written by Children’s Center Director Betsy Gibbs, the grant will underwrite a portion of the on-campus child care costs for children whose parents are Cal State Fullerton students receiving Pell Grants.

In addition, the funding will support various programmatic aspects of the Children’s Center, including the hiring of a new education coordinator. The federal funds will be teamed with other sources of funding to support this portion of the Children’s Center’s total program. The federal grant will support 44 percent of the project, Associated Students will provide 22 percent, with the remaining 34 percent coming from parent fees and other sources, such as the California Department of Education.

“Support of student parents through on-campus child care, helps young parents to realize their educational goals and become valuable, self-sufficient members of the community,” said Gibbs about the impact of the Department of Education grant. “Orange County’s high cost of living creates a tremendous challenge for these families pursuing a better future. High-quality child care is a great investment in the educational future of the children, as well as their families. These federal funds make a huge contribution to the Children’s Center program.”

Associated Students has operated the Children’s Center since 1971. Originally operated from an off-campus site, the Children’s Center later relocated to its current campus location in 1979, where it currently serves the child care needs of more than 190 children each academic year. Through the support of a successful 1996 student fee referendum, construction of a new Children’s Center facility will begin later this fall with scheduled completion in November 2010.

“The campus community is very excited about securing these new resources for the Children’s Center,” said Fred Sanchez, Associated Students executive director. “Between the ongoing financial support of our student body, these new federal funds, the California Department of Education and parent-user fees, the Children’s Center will be able to expand its services to even more Cal State Fullerton students during these difficult times.”

For more information regarding the Children’s Center, the U.S. Department of Education grant, or the upcoming Children’s Center construction project, please visit asi.fullerton.edu/cc or call 657-278-2962.