by Apollonia Trujillo
Daily Lobo
UNM's Children's Campus received a four-year grant to help keep student parents in school.
The grant will give just under a $1 million over the next four years to the Children's Campus.
Each year, the grant will be approximately $248,763, according to a summary of the grant.
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It will be used for staffing and other needs such as food, said Elena Aguirre, director of UNM's Children's Campus.
The money was given by the U.S. Department of Education to create a program called Child Care Access Means Parents In School, which starting this semester, will allow more flexibility for parents, including drop-in and evening care, Aguirre said. The drop-in is for parents who need child care at specific times. Evening care is from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Before, parents had to choose between leaving their children part-time or full-time at the center, Aguirre said.
Child care is also available from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to accommodate students who attend early and late classes, according to a summary of the grant.
Peggy Lopez, program coordinator of UNM's Children Campus, said she was a parent while taking classes.
"When I was a student, I remember having to take my kids to my linguistics class," she said.
Lopez said there is a $10 registration fee for each semester. Priority is given to parents who qualify for Pell Grants, she said. The program requires parents provide a copy of their class schedule, emergency contact numbers, immunization records for children and family income.
The Children's Campus faculty is also working on getting an on-site tutorial program, so parents can be in the same place as their children, Aguirre said.
The program has 11 preschool children and 14 toddlers. The program serves infants and toddlers from 6 weeks old to 36 months, and preschool children from 3 to 5 years old. The drop-in and evening care program will allow the center to care for up to 20 children aged 3 to 5, and up to 10 infants and toddlers.
The program will maximize the number of children who are offered child care on campus, Lopez said, adding up to 30 more children will not decrease the quality of care received.
The program will still provide hands-on activities as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner, Lopez said.
"It's not just feeding the kids," she said. "We sit down with them as if they were having dinner with their family."
Aguirre said research has shown children will go on to college if they attended a campus-based child care program.
UNM student Lincoln Bramwell said he looks forward to bringing his 13-month-old son to the program.
"I think it is cool," he said. "I haven't used it yet, but I just dropped off an application. My wife and I work part time and both watch our son, which is great, but not enough time to finish the degree. This will free up some time so I can finish."
UNM student Ingunn Stevens said she doesn't know if she can use the program for her 16-month-old daughter, because she does not have a Pell Grant, which can pay for care. She will use the program occasionally, she said.
"I just need child care certain times," she said. "I am home the rest of the time."
