The Child and Family Research Center and the Student Services’ First-Generation Student Center have partnered to develop the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program, known as CCAMPIS through a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Through this new program, student-parents attending the University of Nevada, Reno will see up to 90% of their CFRC annual tuition paid for and gain access to a set of tools provided by the Student Services’ First-Generation Student Center.

Graduate and undergraduate students can apply for funding and interested student-parents can access the application on the Student Services' First-Generation Student Center website.

“It’s transformative,” Co-Director of the CCAMPIS Program and Director of the Student Services’ First-Generation Student Center Maritza Machado-Williams, said. “CCAMPIS is not just a child care grant. It’s a retention program.”

CCAMPIS provides student-parents with a complete set of tools to keep them in the classroom and on the path to receiving their degree. It is a comprehensive experience that provides extensive support for enrolled student-parents.

Tuition assistance for the CFRC is one dimension of this multifaceted program. Students get complete access to the suite of services provided by the Student Services’ First-Generation Student Center. This includes peer mentoring, tutoring, assistance with academic planning and other financial aid, additional supplemental grants and regular workshops covering a variety of topics from Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to undergraduate research opportunities.

The CFRC’s full-day, full-year, on-campus programs are made more affordable to student-parents with the money provided from the CCAMPIS grant. The CFRC has one of the highest quality child care programs in the state of Nevada and was the first center in Nevada to receive accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The research center has a long history of maintaining the highest quality ratings possible, so the CCAMPIS grant improves access to high-quality early care and education to our student-parent population.

“The education of young children is critically important,” Co-Director of the CCAMPIS Program and Director of the CFRC Sherry Waugh said. “We learned that even more during this pandemic, and it can set the tone for the child’s whole life.”

CCAMPIS is now recruiting student-parents with children in the 3- to 4-year-old age range. In future years, the directors are hoping to accept a wider age range of children so that student-parents can access care for their infants and maintain continuity for the children throughout the parents’ college experience.

“In order to deliver this continuity for student-parents in the future, we are actively studying ways to increase the number of on-campus childcare spots for the youngest members of our campus community – infants and toddlers,” Melissa Burnham, department chair of Human Development, Family Science and Counseling, said.

There is still availability for this program for the current academic year. For those students who may feel they would be eligible or know any student-parent who they think may be eligible, more information and an application can be found by visiting the Student Services' First-Generation Student Center website.