Helping low-income parents attain postsecondary education through campus-based child care services
Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON— Congressmen Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced a $929,800 grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to South Texas College (STC) through their Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Grant program.
The college will receive a $232,450.00 yearly grant over the next four years, totaling $929,800.00 in federal funds. The grant was funded through the fiscal year 2018 omnibus appropriation bill, which funds the government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Congressman Cuellar serves on the House Committee on Appropriations, and in FY18 the Committee increased funding for the program by $34 million compared to FY17.
This program helps parents from low-income backgrounds attain postsecondary education through campus-based child care service. This includes providing care for fifty children in the fall and spring and forty children in the summer at the Mid-Valley Campus Child Development Center (MVC-CDC). Childcare will be affordable using a sliding fee scale to determine the student’s portion. Students have access to full-time childcare while they attend classes, receive tutoring, participate in quality study time, and attend required advising and or mentoring sessions.
STC’s student population reflects Hidalgo County’s demographics and is largely comprised of a first generation, low-income, Hispanic students. STC’s mission is to increase the quality of life for people through education, which includes implementing strategies that meet the needs of Hispanic students. STC works diligently to help students overcome barriers to higher education. This project will focus on removing one of the barriers faced by students in the Rio Grande Valley: childcare, which is identified as one of the top 10 obstacles.
Congressmen Cuellar and Gonzalez have worked to help low-income families in the area. Through their continued efforts, they have successfully helped secure this funding, which is a direct investment in the well-being of families in South Texas.
“I know firsthand the transformative power of education,” said Congressman Cuellar. “Our South Texas communities have unique needs and barriers to valuable educational opportunities. This funding will not only provide quality childcare, but also allow those parents to improve their lives through STC’s educational programs.”
Congressman Cuellar continued, “I am glad to see the programs we work to defend and fund in the FY18 spending bill benefit the people I represent. I congratulate STC in securing $929,800 in federal funds that will impact the lives of many parents at STC by providing them a with an opportunity to care for their child while they continue to improve their families lives through education. I will continue to work to help secure more funding for programs such as the CCAMPIS program.”
“We should be doing all that we can to support and celebrate every student in the Rio Grande Valley,” Congressman Gonzalez said. “This new funding for the CCAMPIS Program will allow South Texas College to continue offering childcare opportunities for Valley residents seeking a higher education. I thank Congressman Cuellar for his continued collaboration to break down barriers for South Texas students.”
