The Department of Childhood Development at South Texas College (STC) received a four year grant from the U.S Department of Education of $929,800 as part of the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program.
The grant will provide affordable childcare services for eligible students at the Child Development Center, located at the South Texas College Mid Valley Campus.
Funds will be utilized to cover tuition and fees for 50 eligible children of STC student-parents each semester and 40 children in the summer.
STC’s Mid Valley Campus Child Development Center, which is nationally accredited, is committed to providing a lab program to train future early childhood professionals and has served as a catalyst for quality care and education for children and their families for the past 10 years.
Veronica Rodriguez, Assistant Professor and Program Chair of Child Development, says this grant will serve students greatly and believes that the Child Development Center meets the needs of the college and community.
“Our center was established 10 years ago to support students who are parents and wanting to attend South Texas College,” Rodriguez shared. “The student-parent component is very important because without access, parents wouldn’t come back to school or even start. It supports them by having their children at the center, providing them with the best educational opportunities.” Although the grant supports student parents, it is also available to support any parent needing childcare in the community.
The grant will be distributed in a four-year term beginning in Fall 2018 from Oct.1, 2018 through Sept. 30, 2022.