/news-archive/tag/child-care-connections/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Fri, 18 Mar 2022 12:51:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2022/03/18/shanna-parker/ Fri, 18 Mar 2022 12:51:55 +0000 /news/?p=81073 ... Parker Joins 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock as Director of New Child Care Connections Program]]> As director of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Child Care Connections program, Parker is responsible for enrolling eligible students in a program that provides federal child care funding for low-income students, assisting students with finding resources to meet their child care needs, and making student referrals for resources across campus. Parker is also responsible for implementing the requirements of a Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) four-year grant of $581,128 from the U.S. Department of Education that is providing funding to help eligible 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students with child care expenses. 鈥淢s. Parker is a stellar addition to the Student Retention Initiatives Team and brings years of expertise in early childhood care and development,鈥� said Heather Reed, director of Student Retention Initiatives at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淗er experience working within other 糖心Vlog传媒 system schools made her the perfect candidate to build the Child Care Connections program and administer the CCAMPIS grant. She will provide consultation services to any enrolled student regarding child care services in the state, she will administer the grant program, and connect students to campus and community services to ensure their success both as a student and a parent. We are grateful to have her energy and passion for quality child care on our team.鈥� A native of Pine Bluff, Parker brings a wide variety of experience in early childhood education and higher education. She is a trainer, mentor, coach, advocate, and administrator for students, parents, and staff in early childhood education. 鈥淎s the new Child Care Connections director, I hope to make a difference in the educational experience of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淚 want our students to have the support needed to be successful in achieving their educational goals.鈥� Prior to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, she worked for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for six years, where she served in various capacities, including interim Early Head Start director. In addition, Parker has worked for the University of Arkansas for Medical Science鈥檚 Head Start/Early Head Start, serving as site director and as family service advocate. Parker鈥檚 passion and drive for student success come from being a first-generation graduate who has overcome many obstacles and is grateful for the people who helped her graduate. 鈥淚 am who I am because someone cared,鈥� she said. Parker holds a Bachelor of Science degree in human development and family sciences from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a Master of Science in business with a focus on human resources from Purdue University. She is also pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration from Walden University and is expected to graduate in 2023.]]> /news-archive/2022/02/22/child-care-connections-2/ Tue, 22 Feb 2022 18:41:56 +0000 /news/?p=81075 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Launches New Program to Provide Child Care Funding for Low-Income Students]]> The Child Care Connections program is two-fold. First, it will provide child care funding for eligible students though a federal grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Second, the program helps connect student parents with the resources and support they need to finish college. Child care funding will be available to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students who are eligible to receive Pell Grants. Students receiving these grants typically come from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000. At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, about 39 percent of undergraduate students are Pell Grant recipients. The Child Care Connections child care funding is provided by a (CCAMPIS) four-year grant of $581,128 from the U.S. Department of Education. The program supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services. 鈥淲ith the Child Care Connections program, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock will be able to provide a unique service for students by helping provide child care coverage,鈥� said Shanna Parker, director of Child Care Connections. 鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock is only the second university in Arkansas to receive a CCAMPIS grant, so students will receive something that other colleges won鈥檛 be able to provide. Eligible students will be able to focus more on their education knowing that their child is being cared for while they attend school.鈥� The program also provides assistance for students who don鈥檛 qualify for the federal child care funding. Parker will provide consultations to help students navigate child care services in central Arkansas. They can also provide wrap-around services to help student parents get the support they need to be successful in school and in life. These include referrals to the Care Team, student support specialists, success coaching, tutoring, and other campus and community resources. 鈥淲e want students to understand that we can provide many services to help them succeed in school,鈥� Parker said. 鈥淲e want to nurture the entire family by providing the resources they need. We can connect them with a student success coach to help them stay in school and connect them with other resources on campus. We won鈥檛 make the choices for students, but we will guide them and give them the tools necessary to do what is best for their families. We will exhaust all avenues to help them.鈥� A priority for the child care funding will be given to single parents. Parents who are going to college face a tougher road than traditional college students and have lower student retention and graduation rates. Single mothers are particularly hard hit. According to the Institute for Women鈥檚 Policy Research, there are nearly 2.1 million single mothers in college today, many of whom are women of color. Shamari Burnett, a junior psychology major, is applying for the program to help keep her 1-year-old son at the great daycare center he currently attends. 鈥淎s a new single mom and full-time college student, it’s hard because I want to make sure he’s getting great care while I spend a lot of time studying,鈥� Burnett said. 鈥淲hen I first heard about the program starting last semester, I was excited because it’s just what I needed! The cost started to get really expensive, and I was debating on taking him out of the daycare he currently attends, but I decided to wait and apply for Child Care Connections. I’m always looking for ways to save money while working towards my career and educational goals.鈥� Johna Rocha, a 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student who plans to apply for the Child Care Connections program, said this program could help provide her with peace of mind while she is attending classes to complete her nursing degree. 鈥淏ecause of COVID, child care has become scarce, inconsistent, and it is also extremely expensive,鈥� Rocha said. 鈥淚 have two children who need care while I am in class, and I am scrambling every week to find someone to watch them. I want quality care for my children so that I can fully engage in class and create a better life for them by finishing my degree. Good child care is vital for me to do that.鈥� Students may fill out an application for child care funding . State-licensed child care providers who maintain general liability insurance and agree to a Memorandum of Agreement can participate in the CCAMPIS program. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock will host two virtual sessions for child care providers interested in being a part of the program from 7-7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 and March 7. For more information, contact Shanna Parker at childcare@ualr.edu or 501-916-5648.]]> /news-archive/2021/10/19/child-care-connections/ Tue, 19 Oct 2021 14:20:00 +0000 /news/?p=80196 ... U.S. Department of Education Awards 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock $581K Grant to Provide Child Care Funding for Low-Income Students]]> 鈥淭he child care support provided by this grant will help our students who are parents and is another example of our institution鈥檚 commitment to student success,鈥� Provost Ann Bain said. 鈥淭his grant is particularly exciting because the baseline data to support the need for grant funds involved our faculty and our students, and the final grant submission was a collaboration between Dr. Daryl Rice and graduate student Cassie Jo Gehring.鈥� 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock received a (CCAMPIS) four-year grant of $581,128. The program supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services. Funding will be available to students who are eligible to receive Pell Grants. Students receiving these grants typically come from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000. At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, 39 percent of undergraduate students from the fall 2021 semester are Pell Grant recipients. 鈥淭he grant will allow us to pay support for child care to Pell-eligible students with children using established and licensed child care providers,鈥� said Dr. Daryl Rice, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs for student success. 鈥淭he amount is based on a sliding scale. The program will also provide assistance in accessing child care support from other sources, such as the Arkansas Department of Health鈥檚 voucher program and child care provided by Early Start, Head Start, and the Little Rock School District.鈥� A priority will be given to single parents. Parents who are going to college face a tougher road than traditional college students and have lower student retention and graduation rates. Single mothers are particularly hard hit. According to the Institute for Women鈥檚 Policy Research, there are nearly 2.1 million single mothers in college today, many of whom are women of color. Only 8 percent of single mothers who start college earn an associate or bachelor鈥檚 degree within six years, compared with about half of women who are not mothers. The Institute for Women鈥檚 Policy Research also shows that providing support for parents in college, such as free child care, financial assistance, and social skills training, would allow more student parents to graduate in less time. During the spring 2021 semester, four Master of Public Administration (MPA) students in Dr. Kirk Leach鈥檚 social entrepreneurship course did background research for the grant, including a phone survey of local child care providers about capacity, prices, availability, and partnership opportunities with the university. The students include Andrea Neloms, Cassie Jo Gehring, Heather Reed, and Jenifer Tindle. Dr. Rice and Gehring wrote the final proposal and are co-principal investigators for the grant. 鈥淏eing a parent while a student myself, I thought of how difficult it must be for those who don鈥檛 have resources or support to advance themselves through higher education,鈥� said Gehring, associate director of advancement services at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淎s a student at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, I have participated in many service-learning projects. I was inspired to think that the research I am doing as a student and my connections in my personal and professional life can come together to make a real-world change that will make a real impact for students who are looking to make a better life for themselves and their children.鈥� 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock previously had a child care center that closed down in 1993. A 2020 survey of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students, faculty, and staff found that 46 percent reported having primary responsibility for a child under 18. There is a current and anticipated demand for child care, specifically for children five and under. A third of respondents (33 percent) currently have a need for after school care for a child between the ages of 5-12. Student respondents indicated that child care issues have had a direct impact on coursework and class attendance. More than a third of respondents reported that they have had to drop or withdraw from a class due to child care issues. In addition to funding for child care, students accepted for the program will also have access to student success resources in the Office of Student Retention Initiatives, including success coaching, peer mentoring, and a licensed social worker. 鈥淚t isn’t often that a person’s educational career and professional career intersect,鈥� said Heather Reed, director of Student Retention Initiatives and a MPA student who helped write the grant. 鈥淭his is one opportunity where the research team for the Social Entrepreneurship MPA course with Dr. Leach led to the university being awarded a grant that will be put into direct action to support students. This is a humbling experience as a graduate student and professional to see theory to practice in action with the end result helping promote student success.鈥� The child care funding will be available to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students beginning in the spring 2022 semester. A full-time director will be hired to run the program in the Office of Student Retention Initiatives. All students who are eligible for the program will receive an email with more information later this semester. Students can also or visit this website for more information. If you鈥檇 like to donate to help support 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students with child care needs, please donate via this link. In the upper right photo, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock has been awarded a federal grant worth more than $581,000 from the U.S. Department of Education that will help pay child care expenses for low-income students. Pictured, from left to right, are three of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock employees responsible for researching and writing the Child Care Access Means Parents in School grant: Heather Reed, Dr. Daryl Rice, and Cassie Jo Gehring. Photo by Angie Faller.]]>