It was pointed out that there has been more support for childcare initiatives in the past 4 years than there had been in the previous 20. There is a university-wide effort to address the needs of parents, and the concerns expressed in this forum will be taken into consideration in a proposal to be made this academic year, possibly in June or July. Program use is very important. The closure of the drop-in facility resulted from an apparent lack of interest. Awareness and publicity for these programs must be increased.
Facilities are very expensive, especially on-campus.
The family housing center is intended primarily for students, and was a response to 30 years of student activism. Other efforts underway to address this issue include the Child Care Oversight Committee and the Graduate Student Parent Task Force. Provost Cantor has asked the CEW and Rackham to look at the needs of graduate student parents. All of these suggestions will be taken into consideration.