This content was published: October 27, 2008. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC Bond would be child-friendly
Photos and Story by James Hill
Child care, especially for low-income students, is as important as signing up for the right classes and completing coursework. Without it, many students would not be able to attend Portland Community College.
The Sylvania Campus is the largest location for not only child care but is the headquarters for the Child Development Center. Students use the services as a convenient, low-cost way to get daycare for their kids so they can attend school.
However, the child-care center at Rock Creek is small and can’t accommodate the demand for their services. At Cascade, there isn’t even a facility for students to use. And even though Sylvania has the largest facility, it can only serve so many.
"We serve between 120 to 150 children every term, which is a lot of children," said Deborah Sipe, director of the Child Development Center. "But we have a very long wait list of students wanting child-care services that we just can’t serve right now because we are at limited capacity. Any child at this point, if a parent wants care, they might have to wait a year to two years for care, which is unfortunate."
The Child Development Center is licensed by the state of Oregon and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The Center is planned and staffed to provide a training facility for the Early Education and Family Studies department students and a sound educational program for young children.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »