A 2014 study done by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research discovered that approximately 4.8 million college students are raising dependent children.
Salt Lake Community College aims to soothe parents’ anxieties of raising a child while earning a college degree by offering affordable childcare operations through either the Tim & Brenda Huval Child Care Center or the Eccles Early Childhood Development Lab School.
Tim & Brenda Huval Child Care Center
Located on the South City Campus, the Tim & Brenda Huval Child Care Center provides care for children from six weeks to 12 years old. Priority for enrollment first goes to all SLCC students, faculty, staff, and then opens up to members of the community.
“One of the first things to consider when determining the cost of childcare is the age of the child,” says Holly Garcia, the director of Child Care and Family Services at South City Campus.
Garcia describes that the age of the child determines how much one-on-one attention the child needs, which influences the total cost.
“Infants and toddlers have a 1:4 teacher-to-student ratio, while school-aged children have a ratio of 1:20,” Garcia says. “In turn, childcare for infants and toddlers cost the most while child care for older children is cheaper.”
Overall, cost of childcare for SLCC students is determined based on the Estimated Family Contribution, or EFC, from the student’s FAFSA application.
“If the student has an EFC of zero, then they would qualify for the cheapest cost of child care as possible,” Garcia says. “The cost would come out to be about 60% of regular childcare rates.”
SLCC students who are eligible for the Pell Grant also qualify for the Child Care Voucher Assistance Program. The program utilizes SLCC student fees to help pay for the costs of childcare for low-income students, including up to 30 different licensed childcare providers in the Salt Lake Valley.
The total amount of the voucher depends on how many credit hours the student is taking that semester, up to a limit of $700 per semester.
The Huval Center recently received the Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) grant from the Department of Education in order to extend child care services at South City Campus.
The CCAMPIS grant has created the opportunity for expansion at the Huval Center. In the fall of 2019, the center will be operating two infant rooms, two toddler rooms, a two-year-old room, a three- to four-year-old room, and four- and five-year-old room, and a school-aged room.
“We have more availability than we have ever had in the past,” Garcia says. “With that said, people still need to get in early and register.”
At the Huval Center, a typical day for a child, regardless of age, will consist of approximately three meals a day, music and movement activities, outside activities, quiet time activities, educational activities, small and large group activities, read aloud activities, potential nap time and free choice activities.
The Huval Center offers work-study opportunities while also co-sponsoring the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship for Family and Human Studies students at SLCC.
“I really feel like I am making an impact in the world through education,” Garcia says.
Eccles Early Childhood Development Lab School
The Eccles Early Childhood Development Lab School serves children from two to five years of age.
Priority for enrollment first goes to children who have already been enrolled in the program, and then priority proceeds to the current waiting list. If afterward there are still open spots available, then the school will take walk-in registrations.
The Eccles Lab School’s building capacity allows for fifty children to be in the building at one time, so availability does depend on the time slot of choice.
Similar to the Huval Center over at South City Campus, cost of enrollment of a child at the Eccles Lab School depends on the student’s estimated family contribution from their FAFSA application.
“A typical day for the child will consist of two meals and a snack per day, personal housekeeping activities, lesson plans, outside activities, and nap time,” says Debbie Hanson, the Eccles Lab School manager.
Family and Human Studies students also have the opportunity to observe, interact, and implement lesson plans to the children at Eccles.
“It’s fun to interact with the children in the classroom and watch their growth,” Hanson says.
Location information
The Eccles Early Childhood Development Lab School is located at 4626 South Redwood Road, which is right outside the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. Days and hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Tim & Brenda Huval Child Care Center is located inside the South City Campus at 1575 State St. in Salt Lake City. Days and hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. year-round, with the exception of federal holidays, winter break and campus closures.
