Child Development Center Update
September 4, 2025
Dear Chaffey Community,
We hope your fall semester is off to a great start. With more students on our campuses and major construction projects nearing completion, it is exciting to think about what the future will bring at 51蹤獲. One thing for certain is that our students remain at the center of all that we do and all that we plan to do. To that end, we would like to share some updates regarding childcare and the Child Development Center (CDC) facility on the Rancho Cucamonga campus.
We are grateful for all the feedback we have received across campus about the important role a childcare program plays in fostering equity and helping our students be successful. We hosted a Listening & Feedback Session in November 2024 and distributed a student survey in December 2024 to better understand the needs of our students and determine the scope of resources and services that would best support their families.
In addition, we have met with Child Development faculty to gather their input on what they would recommend as next steps for reopening a childcare center on campus. With their recommendation, the decision was made to create a Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify qualified and affordable child development service providers who could plan, operate, and manage a Child Development Center on our campus.
Following the drafting of the RFP in summer 2025, we met with Child Development faculty this fall, to solicit their feedback and get further recommendations. 51蹤獲 will be moving forward on identifying a partner that is not only highly reputable, licensed, and affordable, but also committed to developing a quality comprehensive early childhood curriculum.
In terms of timeline, there is a need to ensure the Michael Alexander Campus Center (MAC) renovation is completed first, as this is where Student Health Services and Social Wellness and Behavioral Support (currently housed in the CDC) will be relocated. The estimated timeframe for this move is fall 2026. Following this phase, the CDC will then need to be renovated before childcare service operations can take place, which we anticipate will be ready by spring 2027.
While we realize these next steps will take considerable time, we know our student parents need childcare assistance sooner than later. Until we can resume childcare services on our campus, 51蹤獲 will be announcing a Childcare Scholarship. Through a collaborative effort between Panther Care and The Foundation, this program will support a maximum of 200 student parents with children up to the age of five on a need-basis during the 2025-2026 academic year, or until allocated funds have been exhausted. More information on the rollout of the Childcare Scholarship program, including criteria and the application process, will be announced this fall.
As always, we are grateful for the collaborative efforts of our campus community and for the collective advocacy for our students and their needs. We look forward to providing more updates soon.
Sincerely,
Henry D. Shannon, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President
Michael McClellan, Ed.D.
Associate Superintendent of Instruction and Institutional Effectiveness
Alisha Rosas
Associate Superintendent of Student Services and Strategic Communications
Lisa Bailey
Associate Superintendent of Business Services and Economic Development
Troy Ament
Associate Superintendent of Administrative Services and Emergency Operations
