Early Childhood Center Scores High in Grant Renewal Application

The Brooklyn College Early Childhood Center (ECC) has been awarded $186,552 for the first year of the four-year Childcare Access Means Parents in School Program. Secured through the Department of Education Appropriations Bill, the grant allows low-income student-parents who are enrolled in higher education institutions and are eligible for Pell Grants to use accessible campus-based child care services.

"I probably would have had to drop out of school or cut back classes in order to get a job to pay for both my tuition and my three-year-old son’s care had it not been for the Early Childhood Center," says student Jennifer Hickson, a single parent and a Pell Grant recipient whose child is enrolled at ECC. "Affordable, quality care for our children is hard to come by," adds the early childhood education student.  

"We are thrilled with the news that the ECC was awarded this grant," says Dean Deborah Shanley of the School of Education. "It is a great way to recognize the incredible high-quality education programs provided to young children and their families."

The ECC supports more than 80 student-parents each year through on-campus day and evening child care services for infants, toddlers and young children. With over 30 staff members, the ECC offers interdisciplinary center-based curriculum designed to meet the needs of each child. Children engage in such activities as block building, art, dramatic play, and science, math and literacy-based projects that develop their skills and expand their interests.

"This federal investment will allow Brooklyn College to continue providing quality child care to its low-income student-parents so that they can both raise a family and succeed in the classroom," says New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. "As a mother of two young boys, I know how essential it is to have access to quality and affordable child care."

Had the grant not been renewed, some of the essential ECC services for student-parents would have faced cutbacks. According to a June report released by Senator Gillibrand’s office, the cost of child care in Brooklyn is rising by $1,612 per year—a costly increase given that the average Brooklyn family already spends approximately $16,250 per year for an infant, $11,648 for a toddler and $9,620 for a school-age child.

The grant was written by ECC Director Charlene Kohler-Britton and Associate Director Lorraine Mondesir, who is also its principal investigator. Additional assistance was provided by the ECC’s grants office assistant Roni Rotstein-Samama, social worker Sair Goldenberg and research evaluator Sue Kessler-Sklar. From the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Sabrina Cerezo, acting director, and Amanda Allen, assistant grants specialist, provided technical support. Although only 104 of the 269 applications were granted, the ECC scored 108 out of a total of 110 points on the blind review of the competitive process.