After getting the ball rolling on child care reform earlier this year, University officials say a consolidated effort is needed to provide better resources to students with children.
Despite current efforts to improve child care opportunities, many student officials said they think UNC should do more.
“While child care is not an issue that affects the majority of the population, for the minority that it does affect, it affects them more strongly than any other issue,” said Mike Brady, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation.
Students with children could easily spend more money each year on child care than they do on their tuition. In-state tuition for undergraduate students will cost $3,205 next year, but eight months of child care for an infant at the University Child Care Center will cost $9,000.
“In this area, it’s not as much about the availability of child care — it’s more the affordability of quality child care,” said Aimee Krans, work and life manager of the Office of Human Resources.
Subsidies are available to help qualified applicants pay for services at the child care center, which enrolls children of students, faculty and staff of the University and UNC Health Care. The center can accommodate 120 children and is open to children ranging from infants to 5-year-olds. There are about 100 children on the waiting list.
The Chancellor’s Committee on Student Fees approved a 50-cent hike in the child care services fee in October — a 33.3 percent increase from last year.
Additional subsidies should be available next year after the increase takes effect, said former GPSF President Jen Bushman, who proposed the hike.
Bushman said quality child care not only is important for students, but also can help retain and attract faculty. She added that UNC must take action soon to ensure that quality child care is affordable.
