Grant will help defray costs for child care services at Southeast

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $150,145 to Southeast Missouri State University to help provide affordable child care services through the University School for Young Children.

The "Child Care Access Means Parents in School" (CCAMPIS) grant, announced by the university this week, will be used to establish the "Redhawk Flight Program" as part of an effort to support Southeast Missouri families by expanding access to affordable child care services while they pursue higher education goals.

"The teachers, administrative and support staff at the University School for Young Children strive to provide exemplary, high-quality child care and early childhood education, Byron Henderson, director of the University School for Young Children, said in a news release from Southeast announcing the grant.

"We have a deep, ongoing commitment to children and families within the university and surrounding communities and we hope to continue to support more families through the Redhawk Flight Program," he continued.

The University School for Young Children, 2098 Bessie St. in Cape Girardeau, is part of Southeast's College of Education, Health and Human Studies and serves as an academic center for training, research and education of university students in early childhood education and child development. Its nationally-accredited early childhood program is open to the university's faculty, staff and students as well as the community.

According to the university's news release, the "Redhawk Flight Program" will benefit low-income students and underrepresented families by helping them pay for child care expenses.

"This grant will enable us to offer a sliding scale to all eligible applicants with the largest target for the program being students," Henderson said in the news release. "For Southeast students, this sliding scale, coupled with the significant discount that is already provided by the university, will allow students to further their education without the worries of having access to affordable, high-quality child care."

The university hopes to increase the number of underrepresented, low-income student families enrolled in the program by 5%, according to the university's news release.

More information about the University School for Young Children can be found at semo.edu/usyc.

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