A growing number of ISU students are dealing with the problem of having to find childcare arrangements at the last minute while juggling a busy college schedule.

Julia Hagen, program coordinator for the University Child Care services at Pammel Court, said faculty and staff find it frustrating as well.

Many students with children have a hard time finding quality, affordable child care at a convenient location on campus, Hagen said.

In the late 1940s, veterans came back from the war and headed off to school with their families. In 1961, the Pammel Nursery school started using various places to meet for different activities. This was the precursor to ISU University Child Care, Hagen said.

There are two child care sites on campus, Hagen said. The Vet Med site opened in 1998 and currently can care for 79 children from infancy to 12 years, she said. The site at Pammel Court cares for 81 children from infancy to 12 years as well.

Half of the children come from University Village and Schilletter Village. The care centers offer full- and part-time care, as well as drop-ins as long as the centers are not full, she said. Payment is on a sliding fee scale, based on income and family size.

The Vet Med site also has flux care, which is for 5-year olds through school age. Parents can bring them in for up to 39 hours a week and pay by the hour instead of the month. This allows parents to drop off their child for a few hours while the parents are at class and makes it more affordable, Hagen said. In addition to regular care, the Vet Med site offers the Comfort Zone, which is a place for parents to take mildly ill children, she said.

The ISU University Child Care Committee is another excellent source for student parents. Katie Baumgarn, committee chairwoman, is hoping to increase exposure for the committee.

The committee works to help students and faculty with children by monitoring the current policies. It also works to promote the various services University Child Care offers, she said.

“I think [finding quality and affordable child care] is the frustration,” Baumgarn said.

Funding for the University Child Care services comes in part from the Government of the Student Body and, in the case of the Pammel Court site, the Department of Residence.

“[The DOR] has done a job above and beyond,” Hagen said. She said the department take cares of all the utilities, rent, and upkeep of the building.

The University Child Care services are accredited by the National Association of Early Childhood Programs, Hagen said.

Only 7 percent of all national child care facilities are accredited. In Ames, only four of 33 child care services are accredited, and two of them are located at Iowa State.

Human Development and Family Studies or early childhood development majors and those interested in working with children are encouraged to work at the campus child care facilities. These positions can serve as internships, practicums and observations for those needing class credit, Hagen said.

“The service here is two-fold for [child care] service and also for students as educational opportunities,” she said.