Campus to Offer New Part-Time Child Care Program

Pat Jacoby | December 15, 2008

Gloria Castro, a veteran teacher at the Early Childhood Education Center at UCSD, helps two children play with construction toys.

As the result of a twofold need—to expand the university’s international programs and to increase campus child care opportunities—UC San Diego will offer a new part-time child care program beginning March 2. The program augments the full-time schedule the Early Childhood Education Center has offered since 1991.

In conjunction with the new facility opening at East Campus Mesa Housing, the International Cooperative Nursery School will vacate its International Center location of the past 37 years. “Given the UC San Diego goal of sending 50 per cent of its students abroad by 2013, the space allocated to the nursery school at the International Center was needed for international education programs,” noted Penny Rue, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. Priority enrollment in the new part-time facility was given to the displaced International Cooperative Nursery School members.

ECEC Director Kathryn Owen in front of the building that will be home to the new Mesa Child Care Center.

UC San Diego full-time students, faculty and staff who are parents may enroll their children, ages 2 1/2 to five years, in the part-time Mesa Child Care Center program, said Kathryn Owen, director of the Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC). Applications are now being accepted for the new program. Additionally, parents may place a child on a waiting list before the child reaches eligible age.

The new center will offer two half-day sessions on weekdays, with the morning session scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon, and the afternoon session from 1 to 5 p.m. The part-time program emphasizes hands-on, child-driven learning inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, Owen noted. There is a classroom maximum of 24 students, with one lead teacher and two to three assistant teachers.

“Our vision is to contribute to a bias-free society, to teach children to be world citizens, to build community among families of all cultures and backgrounds coming to UC San Diego, and to utilize all available resources from the campus community that can contribute to the child’s total development,” Owen said.

For further information about the Early Childhood Education Center and the Mesa Child Care Center programs, visit http://child.ucsd.edu or contact Owen at 858 246-0900.