Being a student is hard work. It means balancing classes, coursework, everyday life and often times a job. Adding parental responsibility complicates this balance further, especially financially. United Way of Story County (UWSC) partners with organizations like University Community Childcare (UCC) who offer sliding-scale fee child care to reduce financial burdens on student parents. For parents Kirsten and Jackson, this program provided the opportunity for their son, John, to receive high-quality child care all while they worked toward their degrees. Jackson has even been able to attend graduate school and after getting his Master’s, plans to pursue a PHD, something he didn’t think was possible before connecting with UCC. Being involved with UCC is an investment that works two-fold: parents are able to further their education and children enrolled in high-quality child care that offers early education are more prepared when they begin school, setting them up for lifelong success.
To provide child care at an affordable price, UCC is one of Story County’s child care centers that receives ASSET (Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team) funding enable UCC to offer sliding-scale fees based on household adjusted gross income and family size so that tuition prices are realistic for each family.
UCC’s mission is to create a nurturing and enriching environment for our community’s children to thrive. While they get their education, Kirsten and Jackson are at ease knowing John is receiving top-notch care. “There’s security in knowing your child is being cared for when you’re not able to be there,” Kirsten says.
Kirsten and Jackson were determined to earn their degrees and having access to affordable, high-quality child care helped them stay on track and within a more traditional timeline. Just this spring, Kirsten graduated, and she looks forward to beginning her career as a high school teacher this fall, while John moves on to half-day preschool. They are glad to already have day care plans set in place as she begins her career.
When it comes to the funding that makes this possible, Kirsten and Jackson are incredibly thankful to donors. “I really don’t think we would be where we are without them. If we could thank them in person, that’d be great. Their support means a lot,” they said.
Their experience showed Kirsten and Jackson how critical accessible and affordable child care is for Story County families. The more they interact with UCC, they realize they aren’t alone in their parenting journey. “There’s a community behind you that’s willing to invest in you as long as you’re willing to ask for assistance with what you need.”