Lending a Miner hand to student parents

BY ERIK ACOSTA The Prospector

Hearing a screaming child, along with the occasional headache and emotionally draining days, is the life of a parent. However, for those parents, pursuing their education while caring for a young child can possibly be a bit more overwhelming due to the time commitment needed for college. UTEP has programs in place to help students with children to make sure they still earn their degrees.

The YWCA’s University Learning Heights Academy is one of the top daycare facilities for young children, conveniently located at 315 W. Schuster Ave. Its proximity to campus makes it easy to drop off and pick up children for the day if there is a need because of classes or if someone works for UTEP.

The academy closely simulates a preschool, is highly regarded institution according to the academy website as it is a Texas Rising Star 4-star rated academy and is only available to UTEP students, staff, and faculty. According to texasrisingstar.org, when being ranked the state looks for high teacher-child interactions, alongside teacher and director qualifications, indoor and outdoor enviroments and lastly program administration.

Anyone can easily register a child for the program at any time of the year or can stop by for the day if they prefer. It can be difficult for some parents to find a good, inexpensive daycare center for their children. Some daycare costs can occasionally exceed the amount of tuition, which can be challenging for single parents who may not have the financial means to pay for that level of care.

As expensive as college can be, no parent should worry about having enough money to care for their child while they are away pursuing their education. Heights Academy’s affordable hourly prices are aimed