Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program Awarded $1.3 Million
Published: January 24, 2023 | Author: Lawrence Mbaki | Read Time: 2 minutes
Southern Utah University recently secured a three-year grant totaling $1,343,595 to manage SUU’s Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program. The amount awarded is nearly a 200% increase in additional funding secured over the last grant cycle.
After securing a U.S. Department of Education grant earlier this year, following the near-impossible feat of a perfect review panel score of 109/109, SUU did it again. This time, Child Care Co-Manager Sarah Delia captured a perfect review score of 105/105.
SUU originally secured the CCAMPIS grant to assist low-income student-parents with financial support for the cost of childcare within the community. However, with the 2020 opening of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Hope (SUU’s on-campus childcare center), Delia took advantage of the opportunity to expand the scope of the newly awarded grant to include funding for quality and affordable on-campus childcare as well, which includes a preschool lab and other parent and family support. CCAMPIS funds will ensure the Sorenson Center for Hope can hire an additional lead teacher and work towards national accreditation. Southwest Tech student-parents were also included in the expanded scope this year.
Heather Ogden, assistant vice president and dean of students, and Dr. Jared Tippets, vice president for student affairs, were thrilled with this year’s grant submission results. The grant will reduce both financial and emotional stress on student-parents, as it reassures them their children are being well-cared for while they attend classes, offering students with young children life-changing access to childcare services.
Securing the CCAMPIS grant also meant a great deal to Assistant Director of SUU’s Non-Traditional Student Services, Linda Hudson, who previously wrote and managed the grant for six years before accepting her current position.
“This is a full circle,” Hudson said. “We get to serve non-traditional students with children, which in turn gets them to retain and graduate from college. It is extremely rewarding.”
Lead Teacher and Child Care Co-Manager Tayzha Huxford reflected with Delia on how this work is a team effort, with all staff (childcare, preschool, food/nutrition, and facilities included) working together to provide the best quality care for student-parents and their children.
“Working with the SPARC Office allowed us to meet the grant criteria and stay on track to complete the grant sections on a timetable,” said Delia. “Ultimately, we even submitted the grant several days early.”
The SPARC Office commends Delia for reaching out months before the proposal deadline, as that played a crucial role in securing this grant funding.
Produced by the SPARC Office
SUU’s SPARC Office provides assistance to faculty, staff, and administrators seeking external funding for their projects and programs, from concept development and planning through implementation and management of funded projects.
Tags: SPARC