College Childcare Center Receives $80,000 Federal Grant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

West Virginia University at Parkersburg is the recipient of an $80,000 federal grant to expand the capabilities of its childcare services.

The college Children’s Room will receive $20,000 annually for the next four years as part of the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program. Purpose of the federal CCAMP program is to support the participation of low-income parents in higher education through campus-based childcare services.

WVU Parkersburg has offered day care services to its students for 35 years. "The grant will let us help more parents pay for child care," noted Linda Novak, director of the Children’s Room.

The college’s grant award will be utilized to:

continue an Orientation to College program for first-time, low-income single parents which introduces them to higher education opportunities; it will include the cost of campus day care

direct payment of child care fees through stipends for income eligible parents

assist with costs for professional staff development and physical facility improvements to pursue national accreditation of the center

pursue development and reinstatement of the college’s Early Childhood Education degree with a focus on low-income individuals as potential students

"Our goal with this grant is to enable low-income parents to begin college, stay in college and graduate with a marketable skill," Ms. Novak said.

"Knowing your children are happy, safe and in an environment that has a strong age appropriate program will make one aspect of college more stress free for our student parents," she added.

WVU Parkersburg’s childcare center is licensed by the state to serve 24 children at a time. More than 150 children are enrolled each semester. The center’s services are available to children of college students and, space permitting, to employees’ children. The center is open whenever regular college classes are in session.