October 03, 2017

Duckworth, Durbin, Announce More Than $150,000 in Federal Funding to Expand Campus Child Care and Help Student Parents Graduate

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced a total of $163,758 in federal funding to help expand campus child care at College of Lake Country in Grayslake and Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield. The funding, which comes through the U.S. Department of Education's Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) program, will also help improve graduation rates for student parents, who make up more than one quarter of all college students in America. Duckworth recently introduced The Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) Reauthorization Act with the help of Senator Durbin to reauthorize and fully-fund the CCAMPIS program so it can help increase access to on-campus child care for student parents.

"At a time when college costs are skyrocketing, we can't simply stay on the sidelines as it gets even harder for student parents to afford higher education - we have to act," said Duckworth. "This funding - along with my CCAMPIS Reauthorization Act - will help increase access to child care services so student parents can focus on getting an education that will help them provide a better future for their families."

"Unfortunately, the cost of higher education continues to increase for students across the country. And for students that also play the dual role of student and parent, child care costs can serve as a second barrier to bettering themselves and their families," said Durbin. "I will continue to fight for federal funding and legislation like the CCAMPIS Reauthorization Act to help student parents achieve their goals of education and pave the way for their children in the future."

Under today's announcement, College of Lake County will receive $92,988 in CCAMPIS program funding and Lincoln Land Community College will receive $70,770 in CCAMPIS program funding.