#ThrowbackThursday – Child care

Child care awaits funds and site – 1987
Pamela Geary, Staff Writer

Students voted last spring to adopt a fee increase to pay for an on-campus child care center, but it will be several years before enough money is accumulated to begin construction.

The $1.50 increase in student fees is due to go into effect in September, and could raise over $18,00 in the fall quarter. Enrollment for the fall is projected at 12,497, said Director of Institutional Studies, Leone Nidiffer.

“Now that we have the fee increase, it’s all about the little stops to get it implemented,” Associated Student President Deborah Evans said.

One of these steps is finding a permanent site. A vacant lot alongside the Arts and Education building is being considered, as is an area by the baseball field parking lot, Evans said. In December the Cal State child care task force recommend the site by A and E despite its location on part of the Hayward fault.

Evans said the new AS administration, which is “definitely behind” getting an on-campus child care facility, will work toward achieving that goal.

“There are a few students who feel the student body shouldn’t support someone else’s children, but overall there has been little opposition.The election showed that students are concerned about the issue, and would like to see child care on campus,” Evans said.

An on-campus survey last spring reported that 17 percent of the student body has children under the age of 12, Nidiffer said. Also based on the survey, there are 138 to 226 students who said they would like to use an on-campus facility for child care, she said.

The current child care facility, located 10 minutes from campus on Patrick Avenue, can accommodate 47 children. Harper said she hopes the new on-campus facility will be able to take care of 100 children, with expansion capabilities.

Evans said it may be five to six years before construction can begin. Until that time the money will be set aside in a special fund.

CSUEB struggled to support parent-students – 2015
Andrea Dupree, Copy Editor

Roughly nine years after the above article was written CSUEB’s Early Childhood Education Center was constructed. According to an article written about the center in 2005, the center was providing low-cost child care to approximately 72 children and their families.

Due to low enrollment and excessive costs the ECEC was forced to close its doors in 2011. Prior to the closure of the center ASI tried to keep the center open by proposing a fee increase of $28 per quarter spread over four years. That never happened and it was decided that the center was burning a hole in the pockets of the university.

As a student-parent myself, I understand the struggle to find adequate and affordable care that is on-campus or even in close proximity to school. Oftentimes my child was the one sitting quietly in the back of the classroom with crayons and scratch paper.

Articles in CSUEB’s online archives written in 2005 and 2011 outline the center’s struggle to remain open. Not only was this a huge loss for student-parents, but for Early Childhood Development students as well. The center was also an opportunity for those students to earn their service hours.

In the 2011 article written Aug. 18, it was mentioned by ASI Executive Director at the time Randy Saffold that, “In the end, everyone was losing money.” Saffold admitted that unfortunately there just wasn’t enough financial support and funding for the center.

In the two years prior to the center’s closure Safford reported $300,00 had been lost due to a contract with Child Family Community Services that required payment from ASI for empty enrollment slots and high admission costs.

Money talks and the roughly $39 million new five-story, 67,000 square foot Warren Hall replacement is going where the Early Childhood Education Center once stood. Unfortunately the center couldn’t be saved.

But alas, who needs a safe and secure place on-campus for their children to be nurtured while they earn the higher education they need to improve their lives and the lives of their children? Not CSUEB students.