FSU student parents can get free childcare thanks to $5M grant

Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat
·4 min read
A classroom in Florida State University’s Childcare & Early Learning Program.
A classroom in Florida State University’s Childcare & Early Learning Program.

Florida State University’s Childcare and Early Learning Program received a $5.4 million grant that will allow it to provide student parents on campus with free childcare services as they work toward earning their degrees.

The Childcare and Early Learning Program, located on Copeland Street, was awarded the grant by the U.S. Department of Education. The money will be distributed over four years, which means $1.4 million will be used every year. While the program is currently in its first cycle, the next one will start in October.

Prior to the grant, the program was receiving $350,000 a year for four years from the federal department to support its participants.

“Student parents have a lot of barriers that they have to overcome while being a parent and being in school, so this relieves a lot of financial burden that student parents face,” the program’s Director of Operations Tiffany Karnisky told the Tallahassee Democrat.

Tiffany Karnisky is the director of operations at FSU's Childcare and Early Learning Program.
Tiffany Karnisky is the director of operations at FSU's Childcare and Early Learning Program.

The program — which started with the establishment of the Infant and Toddler Child Development Center to serve children under 2 years old in 2001 — now serves children between the ages of 6 weeks and 4 years old.

With the additional funding, the program will also have more faculty members for a higher quality of childcare as six full-time teachers are being hired to continue increasing enrollment and care for infants and toddlers.

Related news:Building trust: Teddy Bear Clinic helps ease children's anxiety about doctor visits

More:Florida State University prepares to open new wing of downtown child-care center

A classroom in Florida State University’s Childcare & Early Learning Program.
A classroom in Florida State University’s Childcare & Early Learning Program.

Karnisky says FSU had about 570 students enrolled who noted they have children in their FAFSA applications in 2021, according to institutional research.

“Providing them with childcare and financial assistance allows them to focus on their school and graduation, and I think that ultimately helps the university with its retention and graduation rates,” Karnisky said.

Out of 67 student parents who were enrolled in the program last year, 58 of them continued their studies at the university.

While 61 student parents are currently a part of the program this year, 106 children are being cared for.

At the same time, 104 parents ranging from pregnant women to individuals with age-eligible children are currently on the program's waiting list.

But the waiting parents can benefit from the grant, too.

In addition to paying 100% of childcare fees for student parents with children enrolled, the program is expected to offer partial payment to student parents on the waitlist who have children receiving care services in the Tallahassee community outside of FSU’s campus.

Parents enrolled in FSU’s program with children who have siblings in another childcare center or after-school program in the community can have a portion of their childcare tuition covered through the grant as well.

Here are the monthly tuition rates for student parents at the FSU childcare center:

  • Infant and crawlers (6 weeks - 11 months): $800

  • Wobblers and walkers (12 - 23 months): $675

  • Toddlers (24 - 35 months): $575

  • Preschool (36 - 48 months): $525

“This grant will help us expand our services and the continuity of care for children,” Shannon Staten, executive director of University Housing and FSU’s Childcare & Early Learning Program, said in a prepared statement. “We are excited to provide higher support for students who have children throughout their FSU college experience."

Shannon Staten is the executive director of FSU's University Housing and FSU’s Childcare & Early Learning Program.
Shannon Staten is the executive director of FSU's University Housing and FSU’s Childcare & Early Learning Program.

Other FSU-related news:Tallahassee college students voice opposition to DeSantis during statewide walkout

Other resources that are expected to be available through the childcare program at FSU include counseling, free health screenings for children and informational sessions about services such as Medicaid.

While the grant focuses on student parents who are currently enrolled in the childcare program, priority is given to single student parents.

Part-time and full-time students are both eligible for the grant’s full coverage.

“Our goal is to take care of their children and love them while they’re with us, but we do want to see these parents walk across the stage,” Karnisky said. “We’re just really glad that we can be a part of that.”

More information about the university’s Childcare and Early Learning Program can be found on its website.

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU's $5M grant provides free childcare services to student parents