Trump’s budget axes campus-based childcare for low-income students
“There are so many cuts to education in President Trump’s budget proposal, it’s understandable that his plan to dispose of a campus-based childcare program hasn’t gotten headlines. But parents who use the Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) program have noticed. ‘Without CCAMPIS I would not have graduated. It’s as simple as that,’ said Michel Cocuzzo, who earned her associate’s degree this month from Mount Wachusett Community College in Massachusetts. The program was created by Congress in 1998 and greatly expanded in 2001 under President George W. Bush, when funding hit a high-water mark of $25 million. Since 2003, spending has remained fairly steady at about $15 million. It’s not available on every campus and the programs that do exist have waiting lists, but it has served thousands of parents every year. Students who are eligible for Pell grants are also eligible for CCAMPIS.”