EXCERPTS

Some parents attending Sinclair Community College will get child care assistance through a new program.

The community college based in downtown Dayton announced today that it received a $900,000 grant from U.S. Department of Education to start a four-year program to help parents access school through child care help.

The money will be used for child care assistance for low-income students while connecting student-parents with other resources.

While there is a child care center already on campus, this grant gives Pell-eligible students a significant discount, who will pay no more than 50 percent of total cost.

“Many parents find it difficult to go back to school because of a lack of accessible and high-quality child-care service,” stated Steve Johnson, Sinclair president. “By providing an on-campus child-care center we are able to eliminate a major accessibility gap for our student-parents.”

Under the Sinclair program, eligible students can get child care subsidies at three Mini University centers: the Early Childhood Education Center, which is on-campus, Montgomery County Mini University, and the planned Hope Center for Families Mini University, anticipated to open fall 2019.

Sinclair students must be Pell-eligible, registered for six credit hours, and be in good academic standing, Sinclair stated.

Students who get the subsidies will also work with a “Student Success Coach” who will make referrals to campus and community resources.