The Future of Campus Childcare

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National Situation “There is no shortage of child care

in an absolute numerical sense” (Financing Child Care: Analysis and

Recommendations, 1996)

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What Are the Gaps Nationally? “There is consistent evidence of a relatively low

supply of care: For infants, For school-age children, For children with disabilities and special health care

needs… For parents with unconventional or shifting work hours.

“These scarcities exacerbate other barriers that

low-income families experience in matching type of care used with type of care that best meets their needs.”

(National Academy of Sciences, 1995)

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Campus Situation The Waisman Center offers care for children with special

needs The Child Care Tuition Assistance Program addresses

the needs of low-income students (and now classified staff!)

Center-based childcare for infants and toddlers is scarce:

Only about 1/3 of accredited childcare centers provide care for infants younger than about 11 months of age

The UW Hospital helped to establish a new childcare center, Great Beginnings, but there is a long waiting list for infant care there

Parents whose children take care of themselves after school are significantly less satisfied than other faculty members

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Campus Situation There is not much capacity for early morning or

evening care: Needed by physicians, laboratory scientists, students,

and others Only 20-25% of accredited childcare centers start before

7:00 None provide care after 6:00!

There is little capacity for emergency/backup/drop-in care or sick childcare service:

For when childcare arrangements fall through (Usual childcare provider is unavailable, or child

gets sick) Needed by employees who might lose jobs:

Also by people whose skills are urgently needed (transplant surgeons)

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Goal Scarce campus resources should

be targeted to areas of greatest need!