A new student organization is in the works to provide evening baby sitters to ISU students with children.

The proposed student organization, Student Sitters, will provide students with children a way to get in contact with volunteers who will baby-sit their children in the evenings for free.

The volunteer baby sitters will have completed training in basic CPR, basic first aid and the Heimlich maneuver, said Angela Groh, coordinator for Students Sitters.

Students with children will be able to call the organization’s number and Student Sitters will call the volunteers on the list to find a baby sitter for them, said Groh, freshman in political science.

The volunteer baby sitters will come to the parent’s home and watch their children.

The volunteer baby sitter will bring a kit that will contain some games and snacks so that the parent will not have to provide anything for the baby sitter, Groh said.

The idea for the Student Sitters organization came from an assignment called “Outrageous Acts” for Women’s Studies 201, said Mary Kuster, freshman in food science and co-coordinator for Student Sitters.

The assignment was designed to get the students out on campus and to help make a difference in one of the many issues facing women today, said Kuster, who was also a member of the class.

“Student moms already have a challenging road ahead of them, and this program is designed to help them the best we can,” she said.

Student Sitters has completed a trial run of their organization and have received a positive response, but are dealing with a lack of advertising funds, Groh said.

Group members have completed paperwork to apply for Government of Student Body funding, and Groh said they hope to become a recognized campus organization.

“We are taking a little time to get it right,” Groh said. She said Student Sitters services will be available next fall.

Also new this fall is the Childcare Assistance Program, which is designed to assist undergraduate parents by providing the students with supplements for their childcare costs, as long as the child is not yet enrolled in kindergarten.

The deadline for individuals seeking to apply for the childcare supplements was March 1. Julia Hagen, program coordinator for human resource services, said the program is full, but will be available again next fall.

In order to be eligible, students must either claim their child as a dependent on federal taxes or have custodial care of the child 50 percent of the time or greater, must be enrolled at Iowa State as an undergraduate actively seeking a degree, must have financial information on file at the Student Financial Aid Office and must complete an application, Hagen said.