CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Child care costs are a huge financial burden for many families in Mecklenburg County.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates child care services are costing some parents in the county $13,000 - $15,000 annually.
A historically Black university has taken steps to ease those financial burdens for parents trying to obtain a degree.
Johnson C. Smith University is now part of the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program.
The program is providing free child care services for eligible JCSU students.
JCSU’s program has partnered with Child Care Resources Inc. to connect parents with child care facilities.
The university was approved for CCAMPIS back in October 2019, but the services had been underused due to COVID-19.
Now, more parents are using the program, so they can get their bachelor's degree without having to worry about child care costs.
Jessica McDonald, 32, is a rising junior at JCSU. She majors in psychology with a minor in African studies.
She and her husband have three children.
McDonald always knew she would pursue a higher education degree, but the cost of child care initially slowed her plans.
"It was extremely difficult, that's one of the reasons we decided it would be best for me to be a stay-at-home mom because the finances weren't making sense," McDonald said. "Because I didn't have a college degree, I wasn't making that much. Day care is so expensive, and my whole paycheck was going towards child care. I was trying to manage how I was going to be able to go to school, be a stay-at-home mom to three children."
The family's oldest two children are in school, but she says that child care was challenging in summer when school was out.
The program was the financial resource she needed to balance it all, she says.
"What the voucher did, it allows us to have some sort of relief," McDonald said. "Thank God this program was available for us. It allowed [us] to make the decision I could go back to school and not worry about the fees of child care and our children would be taken care of. It's one less thing we have to worry about.
"Now our girls can be in the summer program and my son is in full time day care," she said. "It's something I don't take for granted. I know there are a lot of parents that have to pay for child care every week — we used to before the voucher came into play."
McDonald says because of CCAMPIS, she's continuing to pursue her academic goals.
McDonald is a nontraditional student. At the age of 30, she decided to go back to school.
Since enrolling, McDonald has been making huge strides at JCSU. Her accolades include:
- Golden Bull brand ambassador
- NAACP
- TRIO Program
- Career Ambassador Program
- Former member of the University Concert Choir
- Treasurer for JCSU's pre-alumni council
- Member of the Gamma Lambda chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
McDonald also made JCSU history by becoming the first nontraditional student to serve on the university's Royal Court as Miss Sophomore 2022-23.
"I feel satisfied, I feel like I'm walking in my purpose," McDonald said. "I was a stay-at-home mom and housewife for so long, the fact I'm able to get the college experience and throw myself into Black excellence, it's a great feeling."
McDonald said she felt deep gratitude to the school.
"I always wanted to attend an HBCU," she said. "Moving down to North Carolina [from New Jersey,] I was scared. I was 29, I had never been away from my family before. I did not know what this new chapter in my life was going to be. All I knew was my husband's job brought us down here so I'm going where my husband is. I would've never thought I would be in the position I'm in. I never thought I would have so much love and passion for a university."
She hopes her story will motivate any parent worried about finding an affordable way to go to school to continue fighting for their academic dreams.
"There are so many different programs out there to help you and assist you," McDonald said. "Unfortunately, sometimes we are unaware. So I make it my personal mission and goal to advocate for nontraditional and traditional students alike, that they are aware of the many different avenues they can take advantage of so they can maximize their potential and take full advantage of the college experience so when they graduate they don't have any regrets.
"I do not want to graduate with any regrets — I want to be able to say everything I wanted to do I did, I accomplished," she said.
After graduation, McDonald plans to work as a school counselor in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system.
Any JCSU students interested in accessing the CCAMPIS program must be enrolled full-time with a 2.0 grade-point average.
The child care program will be available for children 12 and under.