A survey to gauge the interest in on-campus child care was distributed to faculty and staff of St. Edward’s University in November.

The Faculty Senate created the Child Care Committee in the fall semester of 2008 to investigate the issue of on-campus child care.

Cory Lock, committee co-chair and assistant professor said too much was unknown about child care for the committee to weigh in on the importance of the issue at first.

“We suggested that another committee [the Child Care Committee] be created to investigate interests, options, and possibilities,” she said.

The first duty of the committee was to gather information about programs at other schools, by surveying benchmarks, similar institutions and other Holy Cross colleges, Lock said.

The list included the University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, St. Mary’s University in Indianapolis, University of Portland, Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans, King’s College in Pennsylvania, Stonehill College in Massachusetts, and Holy Cross College in Indiana.

Out of all Holy Cross schools, seven have child care programs. St. Edward’s is larger than all of these, besides Notre Dame, and child care is arguably more plausible at large institutions because of larger budgets, Lock said.

With the continuing growth of St. Edward’s, there have been hopes that there may be more room in the university’s budget for a child care program.

The survey was the first public action taken by the committee and will determine the next steps to take. The committee will meet to discuss the survey results, and then report to the Faculty Senate. If sufficient interest is shown and the senate agrees, the committee might begin to study possible models to implement.

“The only model that would ever work at St. Edward’s would be one where the people obtaining the child care would pay the full amount of the child care,” Lock said.

As of Nov. 16, 316 faculty and staff members had taken the survey with an overall positive reaction, Lock said.

Beth Eakman, a Humanities instructor, has two school-aged children, and used the on campus child care facility at San Diego State University, where she previously taught. She said the facility at San Diego State was provided on site for preschoolers through the early childhood department.

“There is a lot of good research showing that on-site childcare contributes to desirable outcomes for employers: less absenteeism and lower rates of employee turnover are big ones,” she said. “Just the very simple feature of proximity – being physically close to where your kids are – is a huge quality of life issue.”

Anna Skinner, professor, said a child care center affiliated with St. Edward’s would be a wonderful option for our university’s faculty and staff who have young children.

“Such a child care center would appeal to many of the people we want to hire for faculty and staff positions, and it could make a difference between their choosing St. Edward’s or going to another institution,” Skinner said.

While many faculty and staff members have shown interest in child care, some have voiced concerns as well.

Haven Street-Allen, director of human resources, said easy access to child care is a wonderful benefit for a number of parents, but cost, convenience and quality would also be important considerations.

“Without a university subsidy, it would be very expensive,” she said. “That subsidy would likely come, at least in part, from the university’s main source of income—tuition. I don’t think that’s a good idea and I suspect many would agree with me.”

The majority of faculty and staff at St. Edward’s do not have children under the age of six. Any university funds used for any part of child care or the investigative process would draw from other forms of compensation that would benefit them. Costs can become particularly acute due to liability.

“Premiums associated with preschool day care are expensive and require a great deal of administrative documentation and compliance,” Street-Allen said. “I have no idea where on campus a childcare center could be placed.  It would require a new building and I can’t imagine where the money would come from.”

Lock said any child care center would most likely need to be off-campus, but within walking distance to avoid new building costs.

Craig Campbell, committee co-chair and associate professor, said that if St. Edward’s values family, children, education, and social justice, child care should be supported because of the obligations to the staff and students.

Campbell suggested insurance in response to liability costs.

“I found an insurance company that covers child care facilities… it was something like $300 a year for thirty kids,” he said.

Campbell said current faculty and staff pay around $600-800 a month for off campus childcare.

Lock suggested the only model that would work at St. Edward’s would be if the child care was paid for entirely by those using it, so whatever the cost of running a child care facility on campus would be spread among the monthly payments of those using the care.

The Faculty Senate has studied several different models, but have not chosen any in particular since they are still in the investigative phase of the process.

A child care center, either on-campus or nearby, could also present opportunities for Education and Behavioral Science students to work with young children. Campbell said the experience would be an important part of education.

Some child care centers at other institutions have also expanded to include students’ children, but most have started solely with and staff and later open it up to students, said Lock.

The survey was completed at the end of November, Lock said. Now, the Faculty Senate will gauge interest. If the Faculty Senate agrees a child care program is a beneficial program to implement on campus, Human Resources and administration will also need to approve the program. The process could take several semesters, or end the motion entirely.

Eakman is confident the administration will make the best decision for the university and it’s faculty.

“[St. Edward’s] is such a wonderful place to work,” she said. “I have never experienced a more supportive administration. On-site childcare seems like the kind of service that would fit nicely with the school’s overall environment of support.”

 

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