Federal grant keeps child care affordable for college students

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Dunham Children’s Learning Center was granted $92,118 from the U.S. Department of Education to help reduce fees for eligible students whose children are enrolled at the early childhood education facility in 2019-20.

The funding is known as a CCAMPIS grant, which stands for Child Care Access Means Parents in School. It helps the Children’s Learning Center to provide discounts to Penn College students whose income makes them eligible for federal Pell Grants. Reductions range from 25% to 75% of the Children’s Learning Center fees, based on a student’s income as reported to the college’s Financial Aid Office. In addition to the Department of Education’s contribution, the college has budgeted a $187,548 match to ensure the sliding fee scale is available to every eligible student who applies.

In 2019-20, 24 students are benefiting from the sliding fee scale, allowing them to attend classes with peace of mind that their children are safe on campus and receiving a high-quality early childhood education experience.

Part of the CCAMPIS grant is also used to fund a part-time teacher assistant, who “floats” to each classroom one day per week to allow teachers to have uninterrupted planning and documentation time to meet accreditation standards. Teachers use the time to plan lessons, meet with parents and complete child assessments.

The Children’s Learning Center at Penn College is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It holds the highest rating – four stars – from the Pennsylvania Keystone Stars program.

To learn more about the Dunham Children’s Learning Center, call 570-320-8026.

For more information about grant-funding opportunities, faculty and staff may contact Grants & Sponsored Programs at ext. 7580 or through its Web portal.

For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.