Wyden, Merkley: More than $1.1 Million to Metro Area Schools for On-Campus Child Care
Portland State University and Portland Community College programs to benefit
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Portland State University (PSU) and Portland Community College (PCC) will receive a combined more than $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Education to provide on-campus child care for low-income students who are parents.
“Parenting while pursuing higher education is incredibly challenging, so alleviating the added cost and commute time of off-campus child care provides parenting students a lifeline at PSU and PCC,” Wyden said. “With the costs of child care skyrocketing and scarce supply of licensed care slots in the Portland Metro region, families without means are often left scrambling. On-campus child care will really make the difference for many Oregon families.”
“Higher education has the ability to connect students with opportunities to thrive and build stronger communities and economies, but far too often obstacles keep people from taking this route, including finding affordable child care,” Merkley said. “This funding for on-campus child care at PCC and PSU will provide many Oregon parents with the peace of mind in knowing that their children are being well cared-for so they can pursue higher education.”
The U.S. Dept. of Education’s Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program supports low-income parenting students in postsecondary education by providing campus-based child care services. PSU will receive $572,360 and PCC will receive $618,556.
“Portland Community College is grateful to receive CCAMPIS funding, for many parents, affordable childcare is a barrier to higher education and graduation. This funding will bolster childcare programs on PCC campuses and provide additional wrap-around support, allowing more student parents to persist and complete their degrees and attain greater economic mobility,” said PCC President Dr. Adrien Bennings
"Portland State University serves a richly diverse student population in terms of race, age and background," said PSU President Stephen Percy. "A quarter of our student population have children so providing on-campus options for child care is extremely important for their success in the classroom. We're grateful for this funding to support those students and help PSU to continue to provide safe and engaging environments for their children."
Next Article Previous Article
