BY: BARAK ADLER
News Editor
Within 12-18 months, Saint Louis Community College will open a new childcare facility at its Forest Park campus.
Funded by $4 million through the CARES Act, this center will offer on- site childcare for up to 60 children at once and join STLCC’s existing child care support.
This support includes the childcare center at STLCC-Florissant Valley and the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program, a grant that allows students to receive childcare at regional accredited childcare centers outside of the college.
CCAMPIS is “just a fantastic resource that a lot of people aren’t aware of,” said Dr. Julie Fickas, the Campus President and Chief Academic Officer of STLCC-Forest Park.
She also said that CCAMPIS funds are “under-utilized at this point,” so any eligible student who applies for CCAMPIS support should be able to receive some assistance through the program.
However, for students who need more support than STLCC currently offers, Forest Park’s upcoming childcare center may give many students with unmet childcare needs the means to receive an education, said Dr. Fickas.
“We [the STLCC administration] certainly think that it has the opportunity to allow folks the resources that they might need to attend classes,” Dr. Fickas said. “We certainly hope that it does that for people who might want to come to St. Louis Community College who have been held back because they don’t have childcare needs met or dependable child care needs met.”
Access to this childcare center will not be limited to Forest Park students, said Fickas. “[The center is] district- wide for any STLCC student to use,” shesaid,addingthat“facultyandstaff are able to utilize those services as well.”
The new center should significantly benefit the STLCC community, said Fickas: “It opens up a lot of doors for our students. And that’s really the prime motivator, to make sure our students are supported in the best ways we can.”
