Effective Comprehensive Campus-based Child Care services upon the academic success of student-parents: A case study at a higher learning institution

This study examined the effectiveness of Comprehensive Campus-based Child Care programs upon the academic success of student-parents attending a higher learning institution. Academic success is based upon academic achievement, retention, and program completion of student-parents. Thirty years ago college on-site child care centers were in its infancy serving as a laboratory for students majoring in early childhood education, today college campus child care programs are taking on a comprehensive approach. The Child Care Center on the campus of a higher learning institution was the case study institution utilized to conduct further research on comprehensive campus-based child care programs. The comprehensive campus-based center at a higher learning institution provides a variety of services to both the student-parents and their children. Some of the programs include parenting classes and counseling for the student-parents and a structured educational curriculum with emergent literacy activities for the children. This investigation is a replication of two prior studies conducted on comprehensive campus-based child care programs as it relates to the academic success of student-parents. The first study was conducted with 24 SUNY community colleges in the State of New York, while the second study was conducted on one on-site campus-based child care program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Both studies reported the need for higher learning institutions providing effective child care services for nontraditional students, specifically student-parents. A case study of the child care center of a higher learning institution was conducted with qualitative and quantitative data collected and reported. Two survey instruments that were utilized in previous studies were modified and administered, one to the director and staff of the child care center and the other to the student-parents who currently have children attending the center. Upon completion of the survey instruments randomly selected interviews was conducted with volunteer participants. The purpose of the study is to provide academic institutions with a model of effective student support services like child care programs that are helpful for nontraditional students towards academic success.