CEI parent-students may get a childcare break
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI.KDIK) - The College of Eastern Idaho has received a $120,000 grant to help students who are parents pay for childcare.
The “Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools” (CCAMPIS) grant will offer students $30,000 in childcare vouchers over 4 years beginning October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2025.
Applications are available at the CEI Center for New Directions beginning Monday. Full time students in any of CEI’s credit-based programs, general education, or career technical education, are eligible to apply.
“Our student support team has strategized and hoped to earn this grant for over a year. This is CEI’s first U.S. Department of Education grant and we are excited to offer students this wonderful assistance. Many of our students really need these services,” said CEI Dean of Students, Mike Walker. “Priority will go to any student with economic need and benefit, but we will award $30,000 each year for our students’ needs. This will build a great base from which we can grow additional services and re-apply for the grant during 2025. We feel very fortunate to have support in this area for the next four years. I really appreciate the work done by Julie McMurtrey and Hailey Holland in moving this forward with me.”
The college also received a Community Development Block grant for $8,636 from the city of Idaho Falls for childcare vouchers.
According to CEI, A parent must be a current full-time student at CEI to receive a full award from CCAMPIS. Part-time students may be eligible for partial assistance. The grant allows CEI to offer childcare referrals to low-income families at either no cost or an affordable cost relative to the student’s income. As a new community college, CEI does not currently have a childcare center. As such, licensed local childcare providers will be eligible to participate in the program with childcare vouchers issued to them based on the student’s application.
