Paying for Childcare can seem daunting - but there are a variety of both on and off-campus resources available to you as a student parent. Below is a list of additional resources for students with children. If you find any additional resources for Students with Children, please send them to jimsells@pdx.edu so we may update the list, as there may be more students who could use the assistance.
(updated February 2023)
1) Program name: Childcare Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS)
https://www.pdx.edu/helen-gordon-center/ccampis
Eligibility criteria:
- Be an undergraduate student at PSU
- Recipient or eligible to receive a Pell Grant
- Must be low-income as determined by the USDA Income Eligibility guidelines
- Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above
- Must have a child currently enrolled at Helen Gordon Child Development Center
2) Program name: Oregon DHS Childcare (ERDC)
https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/CHILD-CARE/Pages/Parents.aspx
Eligibility criteria (expanded as of Jan 1, 2023!):
- You must be an Oregon resident
- You must be employed or attending school
- You must need child care to stay employed or attend school. For a two-parent family, this means both parents must have all or part of their work or school hours overlap
- Your child care provider must be listed and approved by ODHS
*Click the link above to review the full requirements and learn more of the program*
3) Program name: Oregon Student Childcare Grant
https://oregonstudentaid.gov/grants/oregon-student-child-care-grant/
Eligibility criteria:
- Be an Oregon resident with a child or legal dependent age 12 and under in need of child care, or, if over age 12, who satisfies the requirements of special needs
- Use a childcare provider listed with the Oregon Department of Human Services, or, registered or certified with the Oregon Child Care Division
- Have not earned a bachelor's or higher degree
- Enrolled or planning to enroll as an undergraduate student at an eligible Oregon postsecondary institution*
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress
- Not be in default on any federal Title IV loan or owe a refund on federal Title IV funds previously disbursed
*Click the link above to review the full requirements and learn more of the program*
4) Program name: The Community Childcare Initiative (CCI)
https://ccrr-mc.org/cci/
Eligibility criteria:
- Family must live within the city limits of Portland (portlandmaps.com)
- Annual income for children’s family is up to 80% of the median income for Portland, Oregon
- Families must have applied for ERDC to determine CCI eligibility
- Foster families without ERDC, living within the city limits of Portland may be eligible
5) Program name: Baby Promise
https://ccrr-mc.org/baby-promise/
Eligibility criteria:
- Applicants must be US citizens
- Children are between the ages of 6 months - 3 years
- Living and working in the state of Oregon
6) Program name: Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC)
https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic
Eligibility criteria:
- Income at or below income level specified
- Women who meet one of the following are eligible:
- Pregnant (during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after the birth of an infant or end of pregnancy)
- Postpartum (up to 6 months after the birth of the infant or end of pregnancy)
- Breastfeeding (up to the infants birthday)
7)Program name: The Ford Family Foundation
https://www.tfff.org/program-areas/postsecondary-success/scholarship-programs/ford-opportunity-program
Eligibility criteria:
- Residents of Oregon or Siskiyou County, California
- Parents of any age (single parents strongly encouraged to apply)
-OR-
- Adult learners over the age of 25 as of March 1 of the application year
- Students seeking an associate or bachelor’s degree at an eligible public or private (nonprofit) college and have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree
- Students with at least one year remaining in their degree program
- Students who plan to enroll full time in their state of residence (Oregon or California)