Many students worry about cramming extracurricular activities into their 18 credit semesters, while others have to grapple with far different issues, such as providing childcare for their 18-month-old children.
In an effort to aid undergraduate and graduate University students with children to care for, Student Council President Daisy Lundy has engaged in discussions with several administrators. They discussed the possibility of creating an additional low-cost child care facility which would give priority specifically to students as opposed to the current University Child Development Center.
The Center was established in 1991 to serve University faculty, staff and students. The Child Development Center also accepts children of hospital employees and University-affiliated foundations and firms, but with a lower priority. However, the Center also sports a lengthy waitlist.
Center Director Deanna Nichols said the Center currently services up to 110 children at a time.
Lundy said she was dismayed to learn the waitlist can be up to two years, depending on the age of the child.
"Ultimately, I want to provide services for students to enrich their experience," Lundy said. "Student Council typically caters to the traditional student versus the non-traditional student. I want to make sure we have services that do target the non-traditional student."
According to University Family Housing Coordinator James Williams, six children live in University housing with an undergraduate parent, 128 children with a graduate parent and 87 children live with parents who are post-doctoral or research assistants.
The number of students with families who live off Grounds was unavailable.
Lundy said she also would like to give priority to University contracted workers as a way to live up to Council's commitment to the Living Wage campaign.
Fourth-year College student Katie Hamm also said she realized last year that there was not much support for students with children at the University.
"The Child Development Center is great for faculty, but students have off schedules," Hamm said. "They don't always need care 40 hours a week and also financially it's unreasonable."
According to the Child Development Center's Web site, it costs $126 per week for four-year olds and up to $173 per week for infants.
Rich Kovatch, associate vice president for business operations, said the current child center was the result of several years of surveys and fundraising. He was hesitant to say if another facility would be feasible.
"We need to look at all of those options available and see if there is an unmet need," Kovatch said. "Then there is a slew of issues that need to be addressed, like the site and resources."
Hamm said part of the reason the waitlist is so long is that siblings of children already enrolled get in automatically.
As a result, Hamm created a group called Undergraduate Babysitters last year which caters to the special childcare needs of students. Undergraduate students volunteer to take care of other undergraduate students' children for a few hours each week in order to give them a block of time to study or spend time to themselves.
"Part of it is to take care of students' childcare needs, and part of it is to show that there is support in the University community here for them," Hamm said.
The University's Women Center also coordinates a babysitter's list to help faculty, staff and students with childcare needs, but their babysitters expect to be paid.
Read More
Students have federal internship offers rescinded due to hiring freeze
By Nina Broderick | 9 hours agoUntil July 15, no presently vacant federal civilian positions may be filled, and no new positions may be created.
Man dies from self-inflicted gunshot wounds at the Rotunda
By Ford McCracken | 14 hours agoThe investigation is ongoing, and additional details are not available at this time.
Virginia primary elections feature contested race for Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate
By Nicolas Biernacki | YesterdayEligible voters can find more information about early voting by consulting the City Department of Voter Registration & Elections website or the County Department of Elections website.
