Panhandle Times

Washington, D.C. ­– Congressman Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, introduced the Supporting Parents in Education Act, to remove burdensome requirements, improve efficiency, and better address student-parent’s needs when using funds from an already existing program – the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program.

In a statement, Congressman Moran emphasized the importance of supporting student parents, stating, "Students who are simultaneously raising children while attending school face unique challenges in their journey to pursue the American dream." He also highlighted that "Child care remains one of the greatest hurdles for student parents at institutions of higher education."

The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grants are currently provided to colleges and universities by the federal government to support or create campus-based child care services that primarily serve the needs of low-income student parents. Every four years, the Department of Education initiates a CCAMPIS grant competition for eligible institutions.

Congressman Moran's Supporting Parents in Education Act aims to reform the CCAMPIS Program in several key ways, including allowing more flexibility for grant-recipient institutions to provide additional resources to its students and partner with other institutions or off-campus child care programs. The legislation also seeks to make necessary reforms to the eligibility of institutions so that the CCAMPIS Program prioritizes institutions with low tuition rates, high completion rates for student parents, and high job placement rates for its student parents.

Additionally, the Act aims to incentivize institutions that coordinate their child care services with their early childhood education program to encourage child care workforce development.

Overall, the Supporting Parents in Education Act seeks to remove burdensome requirements, improve efficiency, and better address student-parent’s needs when using CCAMPIS Program funds.