The access and cost of child care has become a burden for many of St. Petersburg College’s students, and affordable child care seems like a daydream. Provided through a generous contribution from the U.S. Department of Education through the Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) program, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist presented SPC with the grant award on Oct. 9.
“Many of the challenges our students face, outside of the classroom, hinder their ability to be successful in the classroom,” SPC President Tonjua Williams said. “The college has been working diligently to provide transportation, food pantries and additional support services. Through this grant, child care is now another service we can help provide.”
In a recent survey of SPC students with children, more than 61 percent of respondents indicated that access and cost of child care have significantly impacted their ability to remain in college.
SPC received a grant award of $323,446 per year, renewable for up to four years for a total of $1,293,784. The CCAMPIS program will increase access to high-quality, affordable child care and support services for low-income students with children, ultimately helping them persist and complete a postsecondary education.
Working with community partners, such as the Juvenile Welfare Board, Lutheran Family Services Head Start and Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, SPC will offer vouchers for local, quality child care on a sliding fee scale, with priority given to full-time students needing full-time child care.
“It’s not where you start but where you finish. We cannot allow barriers to keep our students from achieving their dreams and moving from poverty to prosperity,” Williams said.
Browse through some photos of the occasion:
