COSTA MESA : College Receives Child-Care Funds
The Children’s Center at Orange Coast College has been awarded a $91,000 federal grant to help low-income people afford child care.
The money, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is given to help child-care providers offer financial assistance to low-income families. The grants are also geared toward improving the quality and availability of child care.
The Children’s Center provides child development services to the children of parents enrolled at the college. The center, established in 1971 by the college’s Associated Students as a small pilot program assisting just 15 children, now serves nearly 150 children each semester.
About 75% of the families participating in the program have their fees fully subsidized. The grant will allow the center to continue to provide subsidies.
“There’s a critical need for subsidized child care throughout Orange County,” said Karen Juncker, director of Orange Coast College’s Children’s Center. “We’re delighted to be able to offer additional subsidized care to the students.”
The center serves children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years during the fall and spring semesters and accepts school-age children during the summer.
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