In 2008, students with children made up nearly 25 percent of total college students in the United States, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. With UH’s enrollment numbers at their peak, the Children’s Learning Centers remain the only child care option on campus for student-parents.
Director for the CLC Jennifer Skopal said the enrollment capacity is 221 children with a total of 14 classrooms. With 35 percent of the CLC services provided to children of student-parents, Skopal said future plans do not include an expansion, but only a new building that will combine the two separate centers that are both located on campus.
In 2012, the drop-in child care service, Cubbie Corner, at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, was shut down because of being underutilized.
“Cubbie Corner usage steadily declined over the previous five years, with only 24 children enrolled in the 2011-2012 academic year for a total of 74 participations,” Director of the CRWC Kim Clark said. “Based on resource allocation and usage, the service was simply not cost effective.”
Skopal said the CLC does not provide drop-in services because it’s geared toward helping children with their educational development, rather than just babysitting. Discounted prices for student-parents at the learning center range from $165 to $285 weekly, depending on the age of the child and the number of days the service is needed.
However, for Johany Serafin, a curriculum and instruction senior and mother of a 6-year-old, the CLC does not meet her needs, because she said she is involved with UH’s teacher education program, in which she teaches at a school in the mornings and has class either in the afternoon or evening.
“I heard about it (the CLC), but the hours they have don’t always work with your schedule,” Serafin said. “It has a discount, but it’s about the same price as other day cares.”
Curriculum and instruction senior Paola Hernandez is the mother of a 4-year-old and said juggling motherhood and school work is the hardest part, and said she feels the university should be more supportive.
“I don’t think the school takes into consideration the difficulties of being a mother,” Hernandez said.
Serafin and Hernandez both agreed they would like to see more child care options for students with children.
Program Coordinator for the Women’s Resource Center Malkia Hutchinson said they’ve tried to have parenting support groups in the past, but had a poor turnout because there always seemed to be a time-constraint issue due to school and work.
Resources for student-parents include 11 lactation rooms across campus that can be used by students, staff, and faculty. More information can be found on a Facebook page called “UH Parenting Cougars.”
news@thedailycougar.com
—
“Child care on campus conflicts with the busy parent’s schedule” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar