Despite the challenges of outdated facilities, the Children’s Learning Centers did not request any one-time funding increases or base-funding changes. | Emily Burleson/The Cougar
The Children’s Learning Centers requested a continuation of the $113,329 in base funding they have received from the Student Fees Advisory Committee the past five fiscal years.
“We are a year-round program that has approximately 200 children aged 3 months to 5 years old,” said Jennifer Skopal, the CLC director.
CLC has more than 30 full-time staff members and more than 70 student assistants who provide care and education to children of UH students, faculty, staff and alumni.
SFAC is not CLC’s only source of funding. It also receives funding from the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program, which “supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.”
For students to receive tuition funding for their children from CCAMPIS, they must meet several requirements, including having a Pell Grant and enrolling in six or more credit hours per semester. Those who do not meet these requirements are funded by SFAC money if they still have an unmet financial need.
CLC collaborates with many different organizations on campus. The Moores School of Music provides a music teacher to CLC preschool students twice a week, the Health Center Pharmacy administers medication training for CLC staff and the College of Optometry performs eye exams for the children.
Skopal also said that the College of Education holds practicums at CLC, and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences has the American Sign Language class perform at the end of every semester for graduating students.
As part of its budget request, CLC seeks funding for its in-disrepair buildings.
“You’ve heard about aging facilities all day — we’re another one,” Skopal said. “We’re always putting money into the facility, so that’s always going to be a challenge for us until we get the shiny bright new building, but we don’t know when that’s going to be.”
