Pennsylvania College of Technology's Children's Learning Center has received continued funding to help provide child-care access to its students as part of a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Generally referred to as a "CCAMPIS" grant, which stands for "Child Care Access Means Parents in School," the funding comes from the department's Office of Higher Education, specifically for helping to make high-quality child care available to parents who are college students. Penn College received $52,863 through the competitive grant process, to be used between Oct. 1 and Sept. 30, 2009 the final year of the four-year grant.
The funding is used to help subsidize the cost of child care for Penn College students whose income makes them eligible for federal Pell grants. Those students receive discounts ranging from 25-75 percent off regular fees, depending on their income as reported to the Financial Aid Office.
Part of the money is also used to fund a part-time teacher assistant who spends time in all four of the center's classrooms to allow the regular staff time for lesson planning, meetings with students and parents, and working on child assessments.
The center provides child care and early education for the children of Penn College students and employees. It also offers a working laboratory for students in the early childhood education department and other majors.
The center is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools through its Commission on Elementary Schools, and by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It has received the highest rating four stars from the Pennsylvania Keystone STARS program.
For more information about the Children's Learning Center at Penn College, visit online or call (570) 320-8026. For more information about Penn College, visit on the Web , e-mail or call toll-free (800) 367-9222.
For more information about grant-funding opportunities, faculty and staff may contact the Grants and Contracts Office at ext. 7562 or through its Web portal.