Advocates may save childcare grants

Grants essential to retaining students with children, says Mt. Hood college president

By Rob Cullivan

The Gresham Outlook, May 25, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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In response to lobbying by advocates for college students who are parents, state legislators have reversed a decision to cut proposed funding for the Student Child Care Program, which provides childcare grants to low-income college and university student parents.

When Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, and Rep. Mary Nolan, D-Portland, who co-chair the Joint Ways and Means Committee, released a proposed state budget earlier this year, the budget had eliminated $1 million in funding for the childcare program. However, Rep. Nolan said Thursday, May 24, that the proposed budget would now contain funding for the program, and she credited student-parent advocates for persuading the Legislature to save it.

“It’s a real testament to citizen lobbying,” she said.

The Oregon Student Association led the charge to call on the Legislature to reinstate the funding, and arranged lobbying visits to state legislators by student-parents, who shared their stories of financial distress. Courtney Sproule, association spokeswoman, said she was pleased the lobbying effort succeeded.

“I think students are really excited,” she said. “I think it’s great that we reinstated funding for a program that’s been around for years and is really the only program that provides access to a college degree specifically for student parents.”

According to the state, to qualify for a childcare grant, a student must be an undergraduate who has been formally admitted to a four- or two-year college; eligible for federal student aid; registered for or attending at least 12 credit hours; maintain passing grades; and have limited or no other such care options, such as another parent at home to help them. Hundreds of students have received such grants over the years, but thousands more are on a waiting list, officials said.

Nolan said Rep. Larry Galizio, D-Tigard, who chairs the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education and teaches at Portland Community College, was instrumental in having the funding reinstated.

“I’ve had several students – often single parents – who have benefited tremendously from this program,” Galizio said. “For some, this program is the difference between accruing even greater indebtedness as they attend college, and having the ability to maintain sustainable levels of debt.”

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