Alamo Colleges District - Palo Alto College (PAC) has been awarded funding under the U.S. Department of Education's Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, which supports the participation of limited-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based childcare services. The grant will be $137,337 for the first year and is anticipated to last a total of four years.

Approximately 20 limited-income student parents will be selected for the "Parent Scholar Program" and receive the grant funding each semester. Eligibility requirements include being enrolled at PAC, maintaining a 2.0 GPA and having a degree plan. Funding provided through the Parent Scholar Program will cover the majority of the cost of on-campus, full-day, year-round childcare at the college's Ray Ellison Family Center (REFC), with students only paying $25 to $35 per child per week.

Surveys of PAC students have shown that "caring for dependents" is a likely cause for student parents to drop out of college, and few student parents are able to take advantage of free campus resources like advising and tutoring. 

The REFC holds accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the highest level of accreditation for early childhood centers. The REFC cares for children ages 18 months to five years, and they are taught structure, schedule, and social and fine motor skills that will give them a head start on kindergarten. The center provides student parents the assurance that their children are well cared for while the parents are focusing on building a future for themselves and their families.