By Matt Thacker
After years of discussion and debate, the University of Louisville could begin offering child care services as early as 2008, Provost Shirley Willihnganz said.
“We’ve made the decision to begin a child development program which will enroll children from ages infant to school-age, and then provide after-school and school-break care for school-age children,” Willihnganz said.
The decision came after the provost’s office commissioned a $20,000 feasibility study to look at child care needs at U of L. The study also looked at how other child care systems work.
Law professor Susan Kosse, who led the study, said her team’s research showed how important offering child care at the university really is.
According to the study, only 11 centers within seven miles of downtown Louisville are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, an organization which monitors quality standards at child enrichment and care facilities. The majority of those are specialized, such as religious-based programs, few have infant and toddler care, the study concluded.
Bright Horizons Family Solutions Consulting Practice, which provided national survey results, found that 87 percent of all interviewed centers with infant care programs have a wait list. Kosse believes offering child care will help solve many problems for parents at U of L who have had trouble finding child care services.
“I think you have better retention of faculty and staff [when you offer child care services],” Kosse said. “Our recruitment would increase. We’d get better researchers and better staff; and it would definitely help our graduation rate.”
Information from Bright Horizons showed that half of parents at universities without adequate child care have missed work or class because their child’s school was canceled. Almost three out of four parents had missed an opportunity to attend a university event or attend a meeting because of the same reason.
Student Government Association President Darrell Messer a senior engineering major, said that for the past 10 years SGA has been pushing the university to provide child care, and he’s proud of the progress that has been made during his tenure.
“It’s no longer a question of if we will get child care but what kind of program we will have,” he said.
Mark Glickman a biology major and member of the Student Activities Board, and Ashley Howarth a senior biochemistry major and SGA academic vice president, sit on the committee which will make recommendations for how to set up the child care program.
“We’re still trying to ensure we have child care capabilities for all students and faculty no matter if they’re on Belknap Campus or HSC,” Howarth said, adding that she would like to see priority registration for students and a nearby facility for students to enroll.
“We want to make sure students are the ones that utilize this facility,” she said.
Messer said the SGA knows that faculty can generally afford more than students and will fight to help students financially. Willihnganz said they are looking at need-based assistance or sliding scales to help students cover the cost.
Kosse said the first phase would likely allow for the care of 180 children and eventually 322 children, which is less than the number expected to use the service.
Kosse said U of L is still considering possible locations funding sources for the project. Willihnganz said they have not looked at raising tuition to cover the costs. They hope to cover the costs through other means.
“This may involve partnering, fund-raising, grants, or reallocation of some funding one time, so we can build a facility and cover start-up costs,” Willihnganz said.
Kosse said they want to have a high-quality program that will be NAEYC accredited. Willihnganz said the university will probably offer extended hours for evening classes and work. They also look to offer a modified part-time option for students who only need a few hours of child care a week.
Kosse said the reaction from many people in the U of L community has been positive, and she said the committee is excited about moving forward the project.
“We asked for comments after this study was released, and they have been overwhelmingly encouraging,” Kosse said.
Though no firm date has been set, Willihnganz estimates that child care could be available by fall 2008.
More information about the child care study is available at www.louisville.edu/provost/documents.html.
