Prepared by: Shellie Dolan
Shellie Dolan serves as Director of Grants in McAllister and Quinn’s Higher Education Practice. She provides guidance, technical advice, and professional grant writing for clients to pursue external funding opportunities, overseeing grant proposal development from initial concept to submission. Her work has included securing federal funding for community colleges serving disadvantaged and underrepresented student populations. Read more about Shellie.
Time is limited to apply for federal support for campus-based child care. Community colleges serve a growing population of student parents, many of whom face significant barriers to enrollment and completion due to child care costs and availability.
Child Care Fosters Social Mobility for Community College Students Needing Childcare
Community colleges serve high proportions of low-income and student-parent populations- parents make up about 22% of community and technical college students (nearly 1.6 million students), and roughly one third of community college students receive Pell grants. Community college student parents tend to be older, with 87% over the age of 25, and 74% are balancing work as well as studies and parenting. These students are often pursuing higher education to break cycles of poverty, with 30% of community college student parents participating in SNAP, 35% below the federal poverty line, and 48% the first-generation in their family to attend college (compared to 27% of non-parent students).
Why Affordable On Campus Child Care Is Critical to Community College Student Success
For community colleges, parents who have some or no previous college experience as well as those looking to upskill are a significant population for recruitment, but these students often need additional support to succeed- a recent survey of community college students found that 56% considered not enrolling at all, with 23% identifying work or family obligations as a barrier. Community college student parents with campus-based child care are nearly three times more likely to graduate or transfer to a four-year college, and community colleges and other public institutions are much more likely to have on-campus child care facilities than private institutions. Yet many parents still encounter barriers when there is not an on-campus child care option or when those options are not affordable, have waitlists, or do not offer the hours or services they need. Despite numerous studies indicating the critical importance of quality, affordable child care, campus-based options have declined nearly 17% at community colleges over the past ten years, and current on-campus child care meets only about 5% of the existing need.
Investing in Parents Benefits Families, Colleges, and Communities
There are broad benefits related to student parent support programs that help parents remain enrolled through graduation- mothers who complete a college degree earn over $9,000 more per year, and their children are 38% more likely to complete a college degree and increase their lifetime earning potential, promoting social mobility and establishing generational knowledge in the pursuit of higher education. A recent study also showed a 5:1 return on taxpayer investment in student parent support programs through increased tax revenues and reductions in public benefits.
Child Care Grant Can Increase Community College Student Enrollments and Student Success
Since 1999, federal child care grants through the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program have supported college campus-based child care services for low-income student parents, enabling institutions to serve more students, provide lower rates, and expand child care hours and services. The availability of quality, affordable on-campus child care helps institutions to retain and graduate more student parents by removing major financial and accessibility barriers to attendance.
Expanded CCAMPIS Funding and Eligibility
While the CCAMPIS program was paused in 2025, a new solicitation was issued on April 20 by Health and Human Services on behalf of the Department of Education, the first grant competition under the new ED-HHS partnership. The expanded program includes a significant increase in the estimated number of awards (148, up from 27), and estimated available funds increased 441% to over $73.5M, from $13.6M in FY2023. The program has also expanded eligibility– In FY26, eligible applicants need to have awarded Pell grants totaling $250K or more the preceding fiscal year, compared to $350K or more in FY23.
"The program can significantly reduce child care costs for student parents, helping to improve retention and graduation rates, with related increases in community college enrollment and retention revenues. Awards range from $600K-$4M, with an average award of $2M."
CCAMPIS Federal Child Care Grants Can Help Make Community College Work for Student Parents
The CCAMPIS program provides four years of grant support to establish or support a campus-based child care program primarily serving Pell-eligible student parents, and to provide before- and after-class and other student support services necessary to enable low-income students to pursue and succeed in postsecondary education. The program can significantly reduce child care costs for student parents, helping to improve retention and graduation rates, with related increases in community college enrollment and retention revenues. Awards range from $600K-$4M, with an average award of $2M.
Developing Competitive CCAMPIS Proposals with Application Insights
CCAMPIS requires programs to leverage significant local or institutional resources, including in-kind contributions, to support grant activities, and to utilize a sliding fee scale for child care services. The FY26 competition also invites projects designed to empower parents in choosing the early learning setting that best meets their needs, as well as by providing flexible arrangements such as drop-in care and non-traditional hours, including evening and weekend care.
Applications for CCAMPIS are due May 29, 2026. Like most federal grant opportunities, preparation and compliance with the solicitation requires time and attention to detail for a proposal to be competitive for funding. Despite the critical importance of the CCAMPIS program, a 2025 article noted that community colleges in particular can face significant barriers applying due to the complexity of the application process and limited resources. Together with our two-year institution clients, McAllister & Quinn has helped to secure over $18M in the last three years alone, including millions through the CCAMPIS program. Contact us to learn more.
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