Southwest Wins $800K Grant to Provide Day Care Services to More Parents in Pursuit of a Degree

For more information, contact:
Daphne Thomas, Executive Director
Communications, Marketing and Community Relations
901-333-4368
djthomas@southwest.tn.edu

The United States Department of Education has awarded nearly $800,000 to Southwest Tennessee Community College to support its Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program. The grant will fund care for 45 children, 2 ½ - 5 years old, of Pell-eligible students pursuing an associate degree.

Dr. Mary Palmer, Director of Child Care Centers at Southwest, says child care is a critical resource for helping students persist to the commencement stage. It’s a fact that providing affordable child care improves the student-parent persistence towards graduation, she said. Finding quality child care is often the first and most stubborn hurdle for parents who want a better life through education. This removes that barrier in a licensed, nationally accredited environment so our parents/students can confidently move forward with their academic aspirations.

Southwest Tennessee Community College President Dr. Tracy D. Hall says the grant enables the college to go beyond providing the wrap-around services more and more students need today. The CCAMPIS grant is a tremendous opportunity for Southwest to not only serve more students, but also to support the next generation and offer the entire family holistic opportunities for growth.

The CCAMPIS Program initially will roll out at the nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Center on the Union Avenue Campus. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recognizes the center for its commitment to quality care. Southwest cares for nearly 250 children at centers on its Union Avenue and Macon Cove campuses. Both child care centers have received the highest ratings from Tennessee’s Star Quality Program.

For more information about CCAMPIS and child care services at Southwest, contact Dr. Palmer at (901) 333-4514.