Frequently Asked Questions - Student Parent Support Center

Visit Learn About Child Care/ 5 Steps to Finding the Right Child Care on our site. This will walk you through the process.

The Student Parent Support Center serves as an information and referral office for students, faculty and staff by assisting them to identity and locate quality child care and obtain services to benefit both them and their families. We work to promote child care expansion throughout the University and offer financial support for child care costs to student families that qualify. We continue to add additional services to support all families in the University of Utah community.

The Student Parent Support Center offers two types of assistance; Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) grant and the Middle-Income Subsidy for Student-Parents. Please visit our Finances page to learn more.

The University does not have a program to assist faculty and staff with child care costs. You will find information regarding the child care subsidy program through the Department of Workforce Services.

Both options are available on campus. Please visit the Care Options tab on our website for listings of campus preschool programs.

All University child care programs include preschool. Not all preschool programs offer child care.

All campus child care centers are fully licensed and accredited or working towards accreditation.

Preschool programs are not required to be licensed. Please visit Selecting a Quality Program and Licensing vs. Accreditation to learn more.

Summer camps are not licensed.

Each program is operated independently and has differing price structures. Please contact the individual programs for pricing. If you are a student parent, please visit our Finances page for information on possible child care assistance.

Each provider differs and their enrollment may change regularly. In order to ensure finding the care you need, start your search early. Many providers have waiting lists for infants for up to a year or possibly more. Many providers do request a registration fee when placing a child on the waiting list but each provider has different policies. Contact the provider for more information.

The centers have differing hours as they serve a variety of needs. Please visit Care Options to learn about the different centers and their hours of operation.

There is no sick-child program on campus.

It is important to discuss all of the options for "sick" days with your child care provider. Most providers have strict policies on how they limit the spread of germs and that includes sending sick children home. Develop an “in case of illness” plan that includes back up child care arrangements with family, friends and neighbors.

All early care and education programs associated with the University are inclusive and accepting of all children. However, not all programs are prepared for or able to accommodate all special needs.

The early care and education programs are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to all children. However, each program will need to assess the necessary accommodations and what they can provide without undue hardship on the program as outlined by ADA.

Please contact the individual programs regarding their policies and procedures.

The Student Parent Support Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, status as a disabled individual, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information or protected veteran’s status, in employment, treatment, admission access to educational programs and activities or other benefits or services.

The start-up of a new child care program can be very costly and time consuming. Proper space and a highly trained staff are needed for a high quality early childhood program. Often times Departments may decide that these financial barriers are too great and the number of impacted employees and students too small. The Student Parent Support Center is available to all University Departments and organizations to help guide them through this process.

The main purpose of Student Parent Support Center is to coordinate information and give support to University students, faculty and staff. In serving this purpose, the office gathers campus wide data and conducts needs and satisfaction surveys. In addition, the SPSC provides support and information to Departments that are exploring the development of a child care program for their Department faculty, staff and students. If an individual University Department is interested in opening a child care program, the SPSC can provide support, information and expertise. However, at this time, it is still the responsibility of the Departments to initiate the process, find needed space, provide start-up capital and manage the child care program.

Early care and education programs at the University are open to all families, regardless of ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. All will work with families to provide an inclusive early learning environment for all children. Diversity extends to the family structure as well, and we are committed to the philosophy of treating all family situations equally and without bias.

The University of Utah does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, status as a disabled individual, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information or protected veteran’s status, in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

There are no drop-in child care options on-campus at this time. UKids does provide drop-in care for patients only at the University Health Centers in Farmington, South Jordan, and Sugar House locations.

Do your homework by visiting the provider, checking their licensing and accreditation status, asking lots of questions and using the Child Care Checklist to help you know what to look for and what questions to ask. Make sure that you are able to visit the center and spend time in the classroom without having to make an appointment; quality programs should have an open door policy. Once you have done this, trust your instincts as only you know what is best for your child.

This is really based on what you feel is best for your child and which environment you are most comfortable with. Each type of care has its merits depending on what you are looking for. Review the Types of Care page to learn about both.

There are limited options for school age care. Some programs will accept school age children if you are able to transport your child to and from the school and the child care program. Contact individual programs for more information.

There are lots of summer camp options available; visit Care Options/Summer Care Options for a listing of what is available.

The UKids – Presidents Circle program offers care until 7:00 pm, during fall and spring semester and until 5:30 pm summer semester.

There is no drop-in service for the Student-Life services at this time.