Penn State Intercom......November 8, 2001

University to assist
student parents
with child-care costs

The Office of Human Resources has secured a grant award of $280,000 per year for the next four years, for a total of $1.12 million, from the U.S. Department of Education to provide child-care financial assistance to student parents University-wide.

The Work/Life Programs Office implemented a child-care subsidy program for student parents in 1992. Until now, this has been a small program able to assist a limited number of families. The grant will expand the program, which the Work/Life Programs Office will implement at all campus locations to provide undergraduate and graduate student parents with financial assistance for safe, quality child care -- better enabling them to achieve their academic goals. The grant will fund 66 percent of the total cost of the program. University funds equal 14 percent of the cost and funds from the University Park Allocation Committee constitute 12 percent of the program funding. Nongovernmental resources comprise 8 percent of the program budget.

Upon approval, student parents will be eligible for $250 per month toward full-time child-care costs and $150 per month for part-time care (including before-and-after school care). Student parents also may receive financial assistance for sick and emergency care, summer child care and care during finals and mid-term periods.

Qualifying student parents may use this subsidy to assist in child care costs at licensed child-care centers and family home providers in their communities. In addition, child-care centers and home providers who are not already accredited must enter into an agreement with the University to earn accreditation within three years.

The Office of Human Resources would like faculty to help distribute this information to the student population. Updates to the University's student child-care subsidies Web site will occur on a regular basis. The site can be found at http://www.ohr.psu.edu/worklife/subsidies.htm.

The Federal "Child Care Access Means Parents in School" program authorized by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 assists universities and colleges across to improve child care access for student parents. Institutions are eligible for the grants if they disbursed more than $350,000 in Federal Pell Grants to their students the previous year.

For more information about the Student Child Care Subsidy Program, contact Stephanie L. Zezzo at (814) 865-9346 or subsidy@psu.edu.

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