CCM Awarded Federal Grant to Help Student-Parents with Childcare

Published on December 01, 2019

Assistance to Support Student-Parents Seeking Degrees

County College of Morris is offering childcare assistance to help student-parents complete their degrees thanks to grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Each semester, funds will be provided to 15 low-income degree-seeking students to pay for child care in Morris County.

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The U.S. Department of Education awarded County College of Morris a four-year grant for $71,348, called Child Care Access Means Parents in School, which will be supplemented with $25,000 each semester from the CCM Foundation.

The program seeks to reduce the dropout rate among student-parents by providing the support that can help them finish their degrees to build a better future for their families. According to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, parents with better access to childcare demonstrate better persistence and are more likely to complete a college degree. About 22 percent of all undergraduates are parents with the majority attending community colleges, according to IWPR. The majority of mothers in college are also single parents.

The funds will provide 15 low-income, degree-seeking students taking 6 or more credits with access to affordable childcare in Morris County. Through the CCAMPIS program, CCM will utilize a sliding scale based on financial need to make a childcare subsidy payment. Participating CCM students also will be provided with intensive advising, tutoring and parenting workshops.

Additionally, the program will allow the college to establish stronger connections between childcare centers and its Early Childhood Education degree and certificate programs.

To find out more about the CCAMPIS program at CCM, contact the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@ccm.edu or 973-328-5230.