DAYTON — Sinclair Community College has been awarded an over $3 million federal grant to expand child care support for low-income student-parents over the next four years.
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The award is the only one given to an Ohio institution in this funding cycle and ranks as the third largest in the nation.
Administered through the federal Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, the grant covers October 2026 through September 2030 and represents a 46% increase over Sinclair’s previous CCAMPIS funding.
The funding targets child care challenges that frequently disrupt student attendance.
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According to Sinclair’s 2024 Student Financial Wellness Survey, 26% of students identify as parents and 23% of surveyed student-parents reported missing at least one day of class due to child care difficulties.
Over the four-year funding period, approximately $1.8 million will go directly toward child care subsidies for Pell-eligible student-parents enrolled in degree-seeking programs.
Sinclair estimates the program will serve 200 or more student-parents each year and provide direct child care subsidies for approximately 114 children annually.
In addition to direct subsidies, the funding provides for a dedicated Student Success Coach to assist Pell-eligible parenting students with alternative child care resources, public funding, and campus and community services. Sinclair will also increase staff hours to manage and expand these support operations.
Subsidies will be available for children enrolled at partner Mini University Day care Centers, which include the Early Childhood Education Center on Sinclair's downtown Dayton campus and the Mini University at the Hope Center for Families, located less than three miles from the campus.
Dr. Jessica Minor is the chair of the Education Department at Sinclair College.
She emphasized the practical benefit of child care access for student retention.
Together, the two centers provide more than 240 child care slots for children from infancy through age 5.
Both locations are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and hold Ohio’s highest Step Up to Quality Gold rating.
The CCAMPIS grant project covers the four years from October 2026 through September 2030.
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