By Amanda Alaniz

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has been awarded a grant to help parents from low-income backgrounds attain a postsecondary education with assistance from campus-based child care services, such as the UTRGV Child Development Center.

The $1.5 million grant is from the U.S. Department of Education through its Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Grant program, and will award the university $374,836.00 annually over the next four years.

The center provides daycare services to the parents of children from ages 3 months to 5 years old. Physical, social, emotional and cognitive development opportunities are provided in a learning environment to the children.

The CCAMPIS funding will support the implementation of student-parent mentorship programs, and will cover the cost of weekly child care services at the center for 60-65 children of Pell-eligible families during the fall and spring academic terms, and about 30 children during the summer terms.

“We are elated to be receiving the CCAMPIS grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education,” said Raquenel Sanchez, director of the Child Development Center. “This is greatly going to impact our student-parents by providing year-round, campus-based child care services. Our goal is for student-parents to enroll, persist and graduate.”

For more information about the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Grant program, visit the Office of Federal Register.