CCAMPIS
Child Care Assistance Helps Parents Graduate Faster
Student-parents can struggle to afford child care while taking courses. This may lead to taking fewer classes, slowing progress to graduation and delaying the start of the higher-wage career they’ve worked toward. The new Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) program at Valencia College may be able to help.
The Valencia College CCAMPIS Program works with community child care partners, Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County and Community Coordinated Care for Children (4C) to match your child with quality child care providers that meet your specific needs. Our goal is to help you with the cost of child care so that you can complete your college degree.
What is CCAMPIS?
CCAMPIS is a federal grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education that offers financial assistance to low-income student-parents in need of affordable, quality child care services during their pursuit of post-secondary education. The goal of the CCAMPIS Program is to help student-parents:
- Remain enrolled in classes
- Enroll in a higher course load to shorten the amount of time it takes to earn a degree
- Graduate with a degree that opens doors to obtaining employment and/or transferring to a four-year institution for continued studies
Qualifying for CCAMPIS
Eligibility Requirements
Student-parents in the CCAMPIS Program must meet the criteria below each term:
- Pell Grant eligible for the current year based on the financial aid application (FAFSA)
- Enrolled in 6 or more credit hours of full-term courses towards a degree
- Maintain a 2.0 GPA
- Be a resident of Orange or Osceola County
Program Requirements
Student-parents in the CCAMPIS Program must meet the requirements below each term:
- Attend the CCAMPIS Orientation
- Engage in at least one educational event or activity
- Meet with a Valencia College Counselor to complete an Individualized Support Plan
- Complete online pre- and post-award surveys
Next Steps
Step One: Submit an Application
Submit a CCAMPIS application to be considered for program participation.
Step Two: Referral to our Community Child Care Partners
If the CCAMPIS eligibility criteria is met, a referral is made to our community child care partners for review. Once the referral is sent for processing, an enrollment specialist will contact you to complete a screening and set up an online portal for enrollment documents.
Step Three: Selecting a Child Care Provider
If CCAMPIS is the best resource for your needs, you will select a child care provider from an approved list of locations provided by your enrollment specialist. The enrollment specialist will work with you and the child care center to finalize enrollment.
Step Four: Payment
Once a child care provider is selected, the enrollment specialist will inform you of your financial responsibility, which is based on a sliding fee scale. The CCAMPIS voucher will cover a portion of your child care costs. You will pay child care costs and any other required fees that exceed the voucher amount directly to the child care facility.
Community Child Care Partners
Early Learning Coalition of Orange County
ELC-Orange is dedicated to providing children of Orange County with equal access to early educational programs. By connecting families and preschool programs to their network of resources, ELC-Orange is able to foster the success of every child through early learning and quality child care opportunities.
Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County
Through their implementation and oversight of School Readiness and VPK Programs, ELC-Osceola aims to increase access to meaningful learning opportunities that support the holistic developmental needs of young children located in Osceola County.
Community Coordinated Care for Children
4C is dedicated to providing equal access to quality early learning and intervention programs that promote school success and lifelong learning for children in the Central Florida community.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I enroll in the CCAMPIS Program?
You will first need to complete the CCAMPIS application during an open enrollment
period. Submission of the online application alone does not qualify you for enrollment.
Applications will be reviewed, and eligible applicants will have their information
forwarded to the appropriate community child care partner(s) for review and enrollment.
2. What happens after I submit my application?
Once your application is deemed eligible by the CCAMPIS team, a referral will be sent
to one of our community care partners, depending on your county of residence. An enrollment
specialist from their agency will contact you within three business days after receiving
the referral to start the child care enrollment process. Be on the lookout for calls and/or texts from unknown numbers, as you only have 10
calendar days to complete the enrollment process before the referral expires.
3. What documentation will be required to apply for the CCAMPIS Program?
You will be required to complete a CCAMPIS application and Student-Parent Agreement to be considered for the program. Once your application is approved and sent to the community child care partners for enrollment, you will be required to submit supporting documentation that may include:
- Birth Certificates for all children
- Proof of legal guardianship, as applicable
- Paystubs
- Other income documents (e.g., child support, alimony, unemployment, etc.)
- Proof of residency (e.g., renter agreement, utility bill, etc.)
4. Will I be screened for other available child care programs during the enrollment
process?
Yes. Our goal is to make sure you receive the most affordable, quality child care
that is available. For this reason, the representative that calls you from the community
child care partner will screen your eligibility for other child care programs in the
county. If another program covers more child care costs than the CCAMPIS Program can
offer, you will be enrolled in that community-based program.
5. How am I placed with a child care center?
The community child care partners will give you a list of approved child care centers.
Using the list, you will select the child care provider that best fits your financial,
geographic and child care needs.
6. Will Valencia College or the community child care partners make sure the child
care center I pick has space for my child?
No. It is your responsibility to contact the child care center to ask about available
slots for your child. The CCAMPIS voucher must be used within 30 days of completing
program enrollment, so it is important that your child can start receiving child care
within this timeframe.
7. Will the CCAMPIS vouchers cover the entire cost of child care?
No. Vouchers will cover a portion of child care, and you will be required to pay a
copayment based on a sliding fee scale determined by income and household size. You
will also be financially responsible for any child care costs not covered by the CCAMPIS
voucher.
8. Do I have to apply for the CCAMPIS Program every term?
Yes. You are required to reapply for the program each term by completing a new application
on the Valencia College CCAMPIS webpage.
9. What if I drop below 6 credit hours during my time in the program?
We will monitor eligibility throughout the term. If you drop below 6 credit hours
or no longer meet the eligibility criteria, you will receive notification that your
enrollment in the program will be terminated. You will have 14 calendar days to contact
the community child care partners to discuss other child care programs or community
resources. You will be able to reapply once you meet the eligibility criteria.
10. I have two children in need of child care. Can you assist both of my children?
Based on available funding, we may be able to assist with the child care costs of
a second child. You must include the information for all children requiring child
care assistance in your application. This will help the CCAMPIS team determine program
eligibility.
11. Will every student that applies receive a CCAMPIS child care voucher?
Unfortunately, funding limitations do not allow Valencia College to award child care
vouchers to every applicant. If CCAMPIS child care vouchers are unavailable for the
current term, your application will be reviewed with our community child care partners
to determine if any other child care programs are available. If there are no child
care resources that apply to your situation, you will be placed on a wait-list.
12. Do I have to be enrolled in full-term courses to be eligible for the CCAMPIS program?
Yes. You must be enrolled in at least six credit hours of full-term courses per semester
to be eligible for the program. Please check the Valencia College Academic Calendar if you are unsure of the term your courses follow.
13. Can I participate in the CCAMPIS program if this is my first semester at Valencia
College?
No. You must be an established student with a GPA to participate. After completing
your first semester at Valencia College, you may apply.
