10/08/2023
JSU's Child Development Center
by Brett Buckner
The US Department of Education has awarded JSU a $1.5 million grant to provide flexible childcare options to the university’s Pell Grant recipients.
The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program will offer low-income students with young children the support they need to pursue their degrees, knowing their child is receiving a strong educational and social foundation at the Child Development Center on campus.
“When the expanded center opened a year ago, we knew it would meet the needs of many of our students, faculty and community, but there were still options we hoped to one day be able to offer,” said Dr. Christi Trucks, department head of Career Technical Education and Professional Studies and program director on the grant. “The CCAMPIS grant will allow for flexible childcare options for JSU students. For example, if a student only needs childcare on Tuesdays and Thursdays, that will be an option.”
Lynn Garner, assistant director in the Office of Sponsored Programs, wrote several sections of the grant to help secure the funding.
“When I analyzed the data for the project need and looked at our Pell eligible students, I knew that it was time to put in the application,” Garner said. “Our parent student population has increased, and these students need quality childcare while completing their degrees.”
In 2022, 3,762 JSU students were awarded Pell Grants, representing 39 percent of JSU’s undergraduate and graduate students. According to recent data, 17 percent of people in the Jacksonville area are living in poverty, which is higher than both the Alabama average – 16 percent – and the national average – 14 percent.
JSU’s Office of Sponsored Programs, working with the JSU Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, recently distributed a Childcare Center Needs Assessment to the JSU community. According to the survey, 58 percent of respondents said they needed childcare for their children, and more than 63 percent said they needed childcare during normal business hours.
The survey also found that 84 percent of JSU students who are single mothers are more than likely to use the Child Development Center and its services. That is why the need for the resources provided by the CCAMPIS grant program proved to be so important, explained Jennifer Mead, coordinator of post award in Sponsored Programs.
“JSU students who are parents can enroll their child in the quality programs provided by the Child Development Center, which will create a lifelong impact to be felt in their family for generations,” Mead said.
The grant, which will be phased in over the next three years, will begin offering support to students in Fall 2024. More information and applications will be available in the spring.
“We are thrilled to be able to support more students than ever before,” Trucks said. “This will not only include childcare options, but also provide parenting classes and resources to student parents. The CCAMPIS grant is a big win for JSU and the CDC.”
