Creating a Daycare Facility in Campus - Research Proposal Example

Elizabeth Betts, President of the Board, George Adams, Early Childhood Development Faculty Date: February 1, 2013 Subject: Proposal to create a Daycare Facility in Campus Introduction This proposal draws the steps required to build daycare facility in campus for faculty and students campus members’ kids. This provision is a brilliant fringe benefit, which will draw and keep competent faculty. Offering faculty members a daycare facility allows our lecturers to feel contented knowing their young ones are nearby. The campus can offer this tranquility without cost or accountability to the university. I propose that a space be provided on campus for a childcare service, which will offer the opportunity to measure the demand and need for such a provision within campus to enhance attendance, retention, as well as students’ graduation rates, and dependability and retention of staff and faculty. Additionally, the provision can offer employment and constructive work expertise for student personnel, complementing academic programs within Elementary Education, and Social Work (Melhuish & Moss 45). Why a Childcare is needed? The university population is growing rapidly. On top of the three babies belonging to teaching staff members, four of the faculty members are currently expectant. As an institute, there is a need to ensure everything conceivable to embrace these lecturers back to university grounds following their maternity break. Providing a childcare facility will help guarantee that, the University retains its first-rate faculty that will in due course benefit the learners. Daycare is a major worry for both female and male faculty associates. The teaching body’s overwhelming view is that the Campus is not sturdily interested in day-care matters. Some families have to grapple concurrently with elderly parents and small children. Some school faculties accommodate these challenges with flexibility, whereas others do not (Phillips 225). Moreover, survey results disclose that the academic and social experiences of University learner parents are being adversely affected because of their privation of access to affordable and convenient day-care. Seventy-five percent of learner parents surveyed stated that they occasionally or frequently missed period from class or school because of their privation of day-care. Furthermore, 89 percent of learners stated that they occasionally or frequently miss campus-based occasions because of lacking day-care (Phillips 230). When asked concerning day-care and academic accomplishment, 43 replied that a privation of adequate daycare has regularly or very regularly hampered with their achievement, and 59 percent of learners have occasionally brought their youngsters to college grounds and/or lecture because of a lack of daycare. Obviously, these findings disclose that many learners do not have accessibility to reliable and affordable day-care, and they think that lack of such a provision is negatively affecting their academic involvement (Ayan 213). A number of solutions that the University can undertake to facilitate the launching of a day care facility are illustrated below. It is important to note that some solutions may be expensive to launch and that is why am proposing for a solution that will be easy to launch within the shortest time possible. The solutions are illustrated together with their pros and cons, thereby; it will be easy for the committee to choose the most suitable solution for the problem. Solution 1) The University can instantly team up with existing regional dare care organizations until a day care structure can be put up upon or near university grounds. Pro: Immediate action; structures already available; simple logistics Con: Nonexistence of Quality Control; a makeshift measure in the most favorable view Solution 2) The University can construct a new day care facility on university grounds in collaboration with an external vendor, economically encompassing of both faculty and staff, unallied with whichever religious organization, and varied in terms of class, race, and ethnicity. Pro: Minimizes University costs; faster start-up with constructions belonging to a skilled contractor as well as educational contributor already in position; encompassing of all personnel; diversity; appropriate for all campus students and employees. Con: Expensive; space concerns in respect to building; there might be an absence of quality control; could be more intricate in relation to governance accord with outside vendor dealings on university property; might need sliding coaching scale. Solution 3) The campus can construct a new day care facility off-campus in collaboration with a third party functioned by a company with a several number of positions for University faculty, students and the staff. Pro: A third party corporation could be able to act out more swiftly to construct a day care center; less University capital as well as oversight is needed. Con: Absence of quality as well as financial control; the center will not certainly be close immediacy to parents, Solution 4: on campus day care, facility built and functioned by University in the near future. It should be private, inexpensive, economically and racially diverse. Pro: Quality control; easiness of faculty, students and staff parents working within very close immediacy to the facility and their youngsters; it is exclusive; more employment prospects; the University will have the complete ownership of the center. Con: The center requires more resources; more oversight and organizational structures; sluggish in development; may require sliding coaching scale; disputed, historically, by Campus Council with the ensuing concerns: Financial allocation -- would funding needed for the building of an onsite day care constructed and operated by University compete against other insistent needs of staff and faculty, and possibly create division amid community members? Diversity—would the day care center be economically and ethnically diverse? Solution 5) the final solution which is what am proposing at the moment is where the University can allow the use of one of its building structures which are not being utilized to set up a day care facility. Pro: Quality control; ease of access for parents; easy to launch Con: The need to expand might come up as the population growth rises Project Plan Organization of the Daycare The faculty and student parents that will gain from this child-care are primed to administer the running and organization of the child-care facility. To protect the University from all responsibility, the child-care will be set up as a distinct entity from the university. The Early Learning Program will run the entity operations. The faculty and student parents will retain an accreditation as well as provide a duplicate of that certification to the University Panel. A resolution to the dilemma is to request a third party entity or even church to operate a childcare facility within a campus-provided structure (Bloom & Habel). The third-party organization would afford the necessary license and insurance running fundamentals needed to operate the childcare. The university would have running over the childcare. The childcare would afford a structured, fostering environment for toddler to pre-school-aged youngsters of staff, faculty and students along with a concrete, hands-on learning setting for learners interested in the ‘early childhood development’. The families concerned and a shared effort amid the college, students and education department, as well as the outside organization would sustain the center financially (Stewart 34). Age of the Children The child-care facility will be fitted out to manage children from three months to three (years of age). The low ratio of child to care provider will guarantee the youngsters the unsurpassed care. The caregiver to child ratio will differ hinging on the child’s age rendering to the ensuing guidelines. Child’s Age to Care Provider Ratio Three to twelve month olds 1:1 One year olds 2:1 Two and three year olds 3:1 Operating Hours Since the daycare’s objective is to afford safe, accessible childcare to students, faculty and staff members, the childcare’s schedule will go along with the educational calendar. Any university breaks would be adhered to by the childcare center. The only omissions are faculty work-related days when the childcare facility will be operating though the university will be shut. In a normal learning week, the childcare center will be operating from Monday to Friday from seven am to four pm. Location If sanctioned, the presently unused 103 tutorial chamber is the ideal setting for a small childcare center. Only small upgrading to the tutorial chamber will be required, for instance, paint as well as padded flooring. The small makeovers to the chamber will take at most 2 weeks to finish. Other add-ons to the facility include supplies and furniture. Timeframe The newest offspring to join the campus family will be all set to join childcare in the upcoming 2013-2014 academic year. Pending approval of this proposition, work should instigate immediately to facilitate the completion of the daycare facility by September 1, 2013. This date guarantees the entire work is completed before the 2013- 2014 academic year begins. Qualifications The University community is growing. Brilliant young faculty as well as staff, plus a record figure of learners are now reveling in the special setting that the University has worked intensely to create. This upsurge in population causes challenges for the university. One such task is a snowballing figure of persons on university grounds who are laboring hard to steady family and work. The ELP (early learning program) that is presently providing pre-school tutoring for kids of ages three to five, and afore as well as after school supervision for kids ages three to fourteen, would run and provide staffing to the day care center (Phillips 223). The Early Learning Program will establish operation hours, coat and registration. The Early Learning Program will operate with affiliates of the University family to underwrite the cost of setting up the day care center for students, staff and faculty parents, and furnish the facility with toys, games, books and puzzles. Since this is an aviator program, the Early Learning Program as well as the CCTF (Child Care Task Force) will gather and sustain the facility’s use information to evaluate the necessities of drop-in provisions, adjust hours, as well as make lasting campus daycare recommendations correspondingly (Phillips 230). The Early Learning Program qualifies in executing this task since it has had hands on experience with dealing with kids. The body will also offer staffing since it has knowledge of recruiting the best personnel for the task. The Early Learning Program qualifies to manage and run the day care facility since some of the members of the management team are parents too. Cost The campus will not be accountable for any expenses linked to the childcare facility. The faculty, student and staff parents only requested for utilization of the 103-lecture room. The cost approximations itemized below are the onetime ventures in starting the childcare to be distributed amid the five faculty and five student parents coordinating the service. The fee of employing skilled care providers will likewise be shared amid these parents. This outlay will be established and adjusted grounded on the total number of kids as well as their years of age. The renovations to the tutorial room comprise painting of the walls as well as trim and putting in cushioned floor tiles to shield the kids from the tough tiles. The following are the cost approximations for these enhancements. Volunteers are at present prepared to help with the minor repairs. Minor repairs Total: $ 300.00 The remaining estimated costs are itemized below. These estimations include the required fixtures for the childcare and miscellaneous materials the childcare facility will need. Total: $2, 860.00 Collective Total Startup Cost $3160.00 Cost per Faculty Parent: $3160.00/ 10 parents $ 316.00 each Improvements Area Price Paint 262 ft 2 $ 125.00 Padded Floor 215 ft 2 $ 250.00 Item Price Quantity Total 8-Child Stroller $1,500.00 1 $1,500.00 Crib $ 400.00 3 $ 1200.00 Pack n’ Play Bassinet $ 100.00 2 $ 200.00 Rocking Chair $ 130.00 6 $ 780.00 Changing Table $ 100.00 2 $ 200.00 Miscellaneous Toys and Supplies $ 700.00 These estimations show how practical the startup expenses are when likened to the cost of disbursing outside childcares, which can amount to over $1200.00 monthly. Coalesced with the expediency of being in campus, the advantages of the childcare facility outweigh the original venture the teaching body parents are primed to make. Benefits Benefits to the College The day care facility will be beneficial for faculty, students and staff with youngsters who could utilize the childcare center. For the Faculty members Having a secure daycare center on university grounds would assuage a major strain in the parents’ lives. The parents can be able to check up on their youngster through webcam or even visit in the day. Reduced commute time in case the childcare facility is within campus. If the university daycare were obligated to be operating for every day the university conducts lectures, the parents can be guaranteed childcare for their youngsters even for times when public childcare facilities close for breaks and in extreme weather. Engrossed parents can be involved in the curriculum, physical facility, and as staff when this new facility is being developed There will be less absenteeism for faculty members Improved job satisfaction for faculty members Increased productivity for both students, faculty members and the staff For the students Less disturbance in academic facilities from visiting kids of staff and faculty An prospect for first-hand learning within the field of early childhood learning An prospect for employment A prospect for learners to understand an example for harmonizing family and work A surge in the hours in which the staff and faculty are available on university grounds Less absenteeism for student parents For the University as a whole Recruitment as well as retention of staff, faculty and learners with small kids Enrollment tool for the office of admission with students involved in early childhood development The education faculty would have an operational laboratory for observation and instruction of early childhood learning, as well as conference requirements for sanction Other classes, such as Developmental Psychology, may also benefit Family involvement as well as enhanced relationships, and loyalty to the University Less absenteeism Increased personnel satisfaction Increased productivity Conclusion For the University to continue serving the learners to the top of its capacity, the University must keep the faculty, students and staff parents happy within their work setting. Setting up an on-campus childcare facility is one of the many ways of showing the faculty, staff and student parents that their presence and wellbeing in the University is valued by affording them with an excellent provision (Stewart 41).A day care center would boost the University’s capacity to recruit as well as retain proficient faculty members and staff, and upturn the efficiency of its workforces. A day care facility will benefit the student learners who at times have to miss classes because of a lack of a childcare facility. Therefore, an on campus day care facility will facilitate education continuation in the campus by eliminating absenteeism for both students and the teaching staff. Most leading universities, comprising Vanderbilt, Duke and Oxford just to mention a few, have already launched campus childcare facilities, and it is a significant disadvantage for the University when recruiting junior faculty where it has to bid against colleges and universities providing this benefitting service(Stewart 45). The accessibility of a day care facility for all the university faculty employees, as well as student parents would also function to upsurge job satisfaction as well as further build an environment of community and within the campus. Thank you for permitting me to present this proposal. If you assent, I would welcome your response. Works Cited Avan, Bilal. Early Childhood Development: From Understanding to Initiatives. Oxford University Press, 2008. Print. Bloom, Lisa A.& Habel, John C. Classroom Management: Creating Positive Outcomes for all Students. Pearson Education, Limited, 2008. Print. Melhuish, Edward C. & Moss, Peter. Day Care for Young Children: International Perspectives. 2012. Print. Phillips, Kathleen. Blackwell Handbook of Early Childhood Development. Wiley, 2006. Print. Stewart, Alison Clarke. Daycare. Harvard University Press, 2011. Print.   Read More