Childcare subsidies for Pell-eligible AC students extended to Maverick Club

Since 2021, full-time Amarillo College students who are Pell-Grant eligible have been welcome to apply for free or reduced on-campus child care through the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program.

Yet that federally-funded program for low-income parents became even more of a game-changer in 2022 when it was expanded to include scholarships in the after-school program at the Maverick Boys & Girls Club – open daily until 1 a.m.

“So many working parents find it necessary to take night classes, so adding the Maverick Club as a partner greatly opens up their options,” said Ebani Broadus, coordinator for the CCAMPIS Program at AC. “CCAMPIS originally funded only scholarships at AC’s Hagy Center and AC’s Child Development Lab School.

“Both are wonderful,” she said, “but they only serve youngsters from infant to 5, and they close in the evenings. The Maverick Club serves students who range in age from 6 to 18, and it is open until 1 a.m. This significantly expands the reach for some of our student-parents who struggle with both child-care affordability and availability.”

The CCAMPIS Program was established at AC in 2021 with a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Its purpose is to support the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.

AC’s CCAMPIS Program can award up to $170,000 annually, and award recipients also receive academic support services. While the program’s primary focus is on full-time students with Pell eligibility, Broadus says consideration is also given to second-year students attending AC part time.

The Maverick Boys & Girls Club of Amarillo serves more than 1,000 boys and girls from low-income families by providing a safe, nurturing environment in which youth ages 6-18 can realize their full potential.

For more information about the CCAMPIS Program at Amarillo College, in which openings are presently available at both AC locations – the Hagy Center and the Child Development Lab School – as well as at the Maverick Boys & Girls Club, please contact Ebani Broadus at 806-345-5521 or ccampis@actx.edu.

“CCAMPIS, by helping ensure the kind of high-quality and affordable child care that can be challenging to find,” Broadus said, “allows parents to concentrate on their education and their future.”