Increased funding helps IU Child Care Services

An increase in funding for IU Child Care Services will allow raises for staffers and extra space for almost 40 infants and toddlers, according to an IU press release. The service currently only has room for 18 children, with a waiting list of between 75 and 100, according to Tim Dunnuck, coordinator of Child Care Services at IUB.\nThe increase, approved by Interim Provost Michael McRobbie, added around $190,000 to what the news release calls "base funding." Additionally, a little more than $132,000 is earmarked for staff raises. \nMcRobbie said the increase, aided by money from the Provost's Fund, was important to the administration.\n"The Provost's Fund is used for critical needs on the Bloomington campus and campus child care services was selected -- and supported by deans and others -- as a priority for this year," McRobbie said in an e-mail. \nDunnuck said the University has been supportive of the service.\n"Over the years, starting with Chancellor (Ken) Gros Louis, the Bloomington campus has been very supportive of its campus child care," Dunnuck said in an e-mail. "This additional funding increases the annual campus financial support to over $527,000." \nDunnuck also pointed out how far the program had come in the last decade. \n"In 1997, we were near the bottom of the Big Ten in campus funding for child care," Dunnuck said. "We are now near the top in the Big Ten."\nChristin Smith, director of the Campus Children's Center, said she believed the raises were crucial for keeping qualified staff members. She said the raise would make starting salaries "more competitive" with other day care services. \nThe extra funds will push teachers' starting salaries from $22,900 to $26,900, according to Smith. \n"At Campus Children's Center these raises are essential for retention of our teachers as each teacher has at least a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, elementary education or a related field," Smith said in an e-mail. \nBarry King, coach of the women's water polo team, uses the child care service and said he believed staff continuity made the service valuable to families. \n"The biggest plus in particular is the staff -- they're terrific," King said. "The teachers there are top-notch, and the campus child care center in particular has done an extremely good job of keeping their staff fairly intact."\nChild Care Services operates five different programs across campus. Three are run solely by child care personnel, while the other two involve parents in what the organization calls a "cooperative" role. \nThe service offers programs for children ages 6 weeks old through 6 years old. Faculty, staff and students are all eligible to use the program. \nMcRobbie said he believed having the service was not just a convenience, but rather a valuable resource for IU faculty and staff.\n"Quality child care ... is not only an important recruitment tool for bringing faculty and staff to campus, but obviously it is an important service for many faculty and staff on campus," McRobbie said. "By providing quality child care, faculty and staff can focus their professional efforts on their work at IUB and feel confident about the care that is available for their children while they are doing that work."\nSmith said she believes the greatest benefit of the various programs Child Care Services offers is the peace of mind it gives parents. \n"The greatest benefit by far in offering quality child care services is that when you know that your child is in a nurturing, safe, environment that positively facilitates his or her development," Smith said. "I speak this from the perspective of a director of a child care center as well as a parent."\nKing echoed Smith, saying he would recommend the service to anyone who was looking into day care for their child. \n"I would relay (to other parents) our extreme pleasure with our experience of both of our children coming out of there," King said. "I would again highlight the stability of the staff. ... I don't think that I can emphasize that enough. That's a huge burden off a parent's mind"