Child Care Centers on Higher Education Campuses: Roles and Leadership

An increasing focus on early childhood education and brain research offers a prime opportunity for higher education institutions to research and formulate thought concerning quality child care. To add to the base of knowledge, this nationally-focused study examined the following broad question: "what value do campus child care centers offer to a given higher education institution and its surrounding community, especially from a center director''s perspective?" Directors believe their centers are most successful within the university by offering a variety of care options, modeling age appropriate practices, and providing work opportunities for students. Campus centers are most successful in their external communities by modeling quality child care practices and secondly, improving relations. This study found a lack of substantial barriers to the successful daily operation of most centers. Overall, study findings reveal that the perceived value of the campus center is through dissemination of its mission of education, training and meeting the needs of its constituents for the benefit of the university. This is a must read for university administrators and child care personnel!