Case Study: Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) – New York City

Today, so-called “traditional” college students – ages 18-22, dependent on their parents, attending school full-time—are now the minority of college students. 

Today, more than one in five college students are parenting their own children.

The federal Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program helps parenting students to complete their studies and advance their economic situation.

Located in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, BMCC serves a diverse population of low-income and first-generation college students from throughout New York City. About 14 percent of BMCC students are financially supporting children, according to the 2022 Student Experience Survey by the City University of New York (CUNY) System. 

BMCC was awarded one of the nation’s first CCAMPIS grants in 1999, and it has won competitive renewal funding each cycle. BMCC’s founding child care center director was one of the first advocates for CCAMPIS nationwide.

To learn more about CCAMPIS in an urban environment, I reached out to BMCC to hear stories from administrators and students. 

BMCC’s CCAMPIS Grant Supports Students Toward College Graduation

At BMCC, CCAMPIS funding provided 50 student parents and their children ages two to six with high-quality, no-cost child care each semester in its Early Childhood Center.

Altogether, there are 100 students total in the center, including evening, weekend, and day programs. The $446,000 in federal CCAMPIS funding BMCC received each year represents about one-third of the childcare center’s operating budget. The center also braids other early childhood funding, including federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), New York City’s preschool program for three- and four-year-olds, as well as private fees from faculty, staff, and other community members.

BMCC’s CCAMPIS grant also provided student parents with:

• Evening, weekend, and part-time hours (open seven days per week), so student parents can attend class and study afterward
• Advising services
• Licensed mental health counseling services
• Parenting workshops
• Family activities, including music and swimming initiatives
• Job opportunities
• Healing circle
• Professional development for teachers, including autism, bullying, and child abuse
• Preparation for BMCC’s teacher education students

BMCC CCAMPIS Had Strong Outcomes for Student-Parents

At BMCC, student-parents with access to campus child care show:

• Retention rates 20 to 30 percent higher than their peers
• Graduation rates an average of 26 percent higher 

CCAMPIS Works with Other Early Childhood Programs, Does Not Duplicate Them

This year the president’s budget request and the House education spending bill for fiscal year 2026 proposed eliminating CCAMPIS funding, claiming it is “duplicative” of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) or Head Start. Instead, CCAMPIS supplements these key programs, and targets child care for parenting college students.

In New York City, there are 3,000 families on the waitlist for child care vouchers through the federal CCDBG program. Applications are closed to any additional eligible low-income families.

Dr. Scott-Croff explains that NYC prioritizes the CCDBG vouchers for the absolute toughest cases, including unhoused families and victims of domestic violence. Parenting college students “are way down in that waitlist process. And so they're not going to get a voucher. So for them to have access to child care, on campus and throughout CUNY  [using targeted CCAMPIS funds] … it's such a cost savings when you think about the return on investment.”

Zooming out to the state level, across New York State only ten percent of eligible students can get a federal CCDBG subsidy, and only 24 percent of eligible students can be served in Head Start.

Urgent Action Needed - BMCC’s Effective CCAMPIS Program is at Immediate Risk

BMCC completed its latest four-year CCAMPIS grant on September 30, 2025. Normally, the U.S. Department of Education posts a new competition process in spring or summer for current grantees – and first-time applicants – to apply for CCAMPIS for the coming year.

However, this year ED did not post a new competition, and over 100 programs like BMCC with scheduled grants ending did not have the chance to compete for another cycle. BMCC did not receive any notice or explanation from ED about the end of their grant, or the lack of a new competition.

Without an opportunity to apply for another round of competitive CCAMPIS grant funding, BMCC will need to end services for 50 student parents. At least 10 child care staff would need to be fired. Student parents would drop out and disrupt their path to graduation and a better paying job.

In the next FY26 spending bill or short-term CR, Congress should require ED to run a new competition for CCAMPIS, and provide temporary continuation funding to the more than 100 CCAMPIS grantees that lapsed September 30, to maintain services until the next competitive awards. 

Drielle’s Story

BMCC student Drielle Valeretto has a daughter with a nonverbal disability. Drielle did not have many options. As center director Dr. Scott-Croff explained, thanks to CCAMPIS, Drielle had “child care that supports her, not only being in classes, but also allows her study time and all also allows for emergency drop-off care.”

In June 2025, Drielle graduated from BMCC’s Registered Nurse (RN) program. She won the Best All-Around student award for the nursing school.

She told BMCC Child Care Center staff in May, at her nurse pinning ceremony, where she was celebrating with her daughter Isadora, “I really couldn’t have made it this far without your support!”

She is now on the path to a four-year degree, attending the City University of New York’s School of Professional Studies.

Another BMCC Student’s Story

Another BMCC student told the author her story, and she requested anonymity for privacy purposes. She lives in an outer borough and commutes into Manhattan. Before college, she had an internship in construction, and decided she wanted to be a civil engineer.

However, she knew it would be impossible to advance her educational and career goals – and to earn more for her family – without the convenient schedule and location of child care at her college. 

When researching colleges, “BMCC just so happened to be one of the schools that provided child care… I did my application process on my own. I knew that I would have to have some sort of child care in order to attend, because if I didn't have child care, I wouldn't be a student, probably wouldn't be working. So that was definitely something that was my top focus—making sure that they were able to be in school, and not just any school, but a good one. Doing my research, I was able to compare different colleges, and BMCC had a lot of help, a lot of resources. It sounded like the best place to place him, so I shaped my own college experience around his child care.”

Last school year, she used CCAMPIS-funded child care at the BMCC Early Childhood Center part-time. “Any day that I had classes they would have school, and if I needed additional hours for tutoring or Work-Study or anything like that, I was able to get it extended so that they would still have child care.

“I am a full-time student with a great support network including mentorship, tutoring and being able to work part time on campus through Federal Work Study. I work in the Science department as a clerical assistant. I’m being trained on how to organize the classrooms and materials as well as the chemicals that are being used in the science labs. As a team and under supervision, we help keep order and cleanliness in more than one lab and help their professor who organizes all their chemicals, supplies for the classrooms, and who mixes and prepares.”

She also used the CCAMPIS-funded supports for parenting students, including parent workshops to learn social and emotional skills and parenting strategies.

She learned to “have the right frame of mind and tools to be able to meet your child where they are and help them and their development. … Every moment may require something different for each child when they're experiencing their different phases … [We are learning] just being able to stay consistent in how you approach it. You’re able to encourage them and help them soothe themselves with different techniques, like deep breathing, … doing puzzles with them, finding different words and methods to navigate different feelings.”

The center also helped provide an evaluation and targeted learning supports for her child, and helped refer the mother to other supports on campus.

“They have a lot more wisdom and know what departments within BMCC as a whole are able to help me in areas that the Early Childhood Center can’t, so for example, being connected with legal services or the counseling center.”

The mom and child also participated in activities with other student-parents and their children, including swimming class and music class. “A lot of what they do or learn in school we’ll practice outside.”

“Through the support of the Early Childhood Center, we have also had the opportunity to receive meal tickets for the cafeteria on campus on numerous occasions, as well as gift cards to buy detergent products and personal items. I have received gift bags which included books, school supplies, clothing and even more personal items such as soaps, lotions, hand sanitizers, etc…. We also get food/pantry items and free access to cultural passes through the center. Those have helped us tremendously with having play dates with my child’s school friends and bonding time with family. So not only have we received help academically through child care, advice, and support from the staff, but for our home and community as well.”

The student now completed one year, and is moving toward earning her Associate’s Degree in Civil Engineering. She is on track to enroll in a four-year college and reach her dream to being an engineer. 

More Photos of BMCC Early Childhood Center Kids and Staff

Jonathan Elkin is an independent consultant with experience in the U.S. House and Senate, state and local government, and bipartisan federal advocacy from early childhood to K-12 and higher education. Get in touch on LinkedIn or at Uniting for Student Success, LLC.

Photocredit: BMCC Early Childhood Center