Being a student attending courses on campus can be hard. For students who also have a child, finding child care makes that job much more difficult.
One option on campus is the Ford Childhood Enrichment Center. This facility offers support for parents and provides educational programs for children.
The Center also provides hands-on experience for college students entering a child development field.
The Center requires appropriate background checks for their workers. However, according to the UCC website, they only take children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years.
Students who have children outside of the Center’s age requirements must find care elsewhere. The first tip is to consider school options. The center provides before or after school care for schoool-age children.
The YMCA in Roseburg has an after school care program that “combines learning enrichment activities with physical activity to keep minds and bodies active.” According to their website. The YMCA program gives children in their after school program a free supper through a national partnership between YMCA of the USA and the Walmart Foundation.
The state has a new child care referral service at 211info.org that provides a wealth of help including tips on how to make a choice about childcare as well as links for assistance to pay for childcare. The 211 site also gives information on inclusive child care programs, as well as links to a plethora of local community resources. Students who can’t access the Internet can also text the keyword “children” to 898211 to connect with a 211 representative any Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. or Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. through 8 p.m.
Child Welfare and the Self Sufficiency office of the Department of Human Services in Roseburg offers assistance to those searching for child care. According to the DHS website, a family using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, may be eligible for Employment Related Day Care, or ERDC, for qualified families. ERDC is a subsidy type program. It is a low-income program where DHS tells the parent how many hours they will pay for. Students who are on TANF and who are eligible for ERDC can use the day care while in school with an approved provider through the state. To get a list of approved providers, students can visit the Technology Center, room 102 on UCC’s main campus.
The DHS office will also provide a list of approved providers in the parent’s area.
The list from DHS may include providers who no longer have open positions Parents should expect to make multiple calls to find a listing which is open and works.
Some details like whether the provider gives transportation to and from a child’s school would be case specific. It is an interview process to try and find the right fit.
If the providers listed in the handout from DHS are not working out, there are a few other options. If you are receiving ERDC and you have a friend or family member who is willing to help, that person can go through the necessary classes through the DHS website at no charge and a take a mandatory first aid course that is paid out of pocket to be listed as a provider and be paid through DHS.