Budget cuts force Migard childcare to stop evening childcare for students
Addison Kelly
Staff Writer
The Milgard Child Development Center [CDC] has long been a very important part of Pierce College as it provides a place where students can entrust their kids, ages one to five years old, while they are taking classes.
This center is known for being a good environment for young children, as seen in their core beliefs: “Children have Enormous Potential and capability” and “We can best guide children by listening to them.”
Being a wonderful childcare center isn’t enough. There is a bit of controversy surrounding the Early Childhood Education [ECE] program’s budget that effected its decision to cut its evening program.
The employees at the Milgard Center did not seem to know why the evening program was cut.
Dede Reaves, a program assistant at the Milgard Child Development Center had this to say, “I know that they cut their evening program, but I don’t know why. Maybe budget cuts?”
According to Naomi Barrett, a 20 year old student at Pierce College who is currently taking her 4th year of Pierce’s Early Childhood Education Program, the evening childcare program was cut, not for budget cuts, but due to a lack of funds in the first place.
Bringing into question the effect this budget cut has on the students who rely on it.
“The few students that used it can no longer take evening classes” Barrett added.
While presenting a problem for some, she made it clear the funds were low because there were few students who used the program. Therefore, the majority of students will not be affected by this change.
Regardless of minor hiccups along the way, Milgard’s CDC and the separate ECE program will continue to be a convenient resource for students with children. Their programs continue to thrive in the morning and afternoon, so parents can still attend most of their classes with the comfort of knowing their children are nearby and safe.
As another of their core beliefs reads: “We are in partnership with parents and the community.”
