Student parents and staff seeking to enroll their children in on-campus childcare have one less location to choose from this academic year due to the absorption of the Associated Students of Portland State University (ASPSU) Children’s Center into the Helen Gordon Child Development Center.
With advice from Helen Gordon Center Director Lynn Green, the College of Education (COE) made the decision to combine the two childcare centers last February.
ASPSU Center families and staff learned of the news through a leaked announcement in the COE newsletter. COE Dean Dr. José Coll originally planned to relocate the ASPSU Center at the beginning of the spring quarter, but pushed the date out to fall after ASPSU Center supporters protested the lack of time to prepare children for the change.
Prior to the move, the ASPSU Center cared for around 40 children, serving 18 student and staff families at the end of last spring. Of those children, 10 are now looked after at the Helen Gordon Center.
Previous ASPSU Center parents who were unable to find child care elsewhere now bring their children to school with them or attend at home. Only one of the ASPSU Center’s staff transferred to the Helen Gordon Center, while most resigned or retired.
Last spring, Kristie Kolesnikov—a PSU staff member and master’s student—faced challenges in solving childcare issues during the first few months of the school year while working with children at the ASPSU Center.
“I had to seek off campus childcare and have been working from home with my son because the new place isn’t open for him until next week,” Kolesnikov stated in an email on Sept. 28. “So I’ve been without care since August.”
The unilateral decision left ASPSU Center constituents disenfranchised. In a virtual town hall held last spring, families expressed sentiments of loyalty to the center for its diverse environment and welcoming community. In the event of a move, many stated they would look for care elsewhere.
In Oregon, childcare costs eat up a large portion of family paychecks. Multnomah County in particular touts the highest costs state-wide, with the median monthly price for a toddler in Multnomah County childcare at $1,755, according to a state report by Oregon State.
For PSU students seeking child care assistance at the Helen Gordon Center, monthly care for a toddler on a Monday–Friday schedule costs $1,222. For staff and faculty, it costs $1,744.
Families at the Helen Gordon Center can now opt into hourly programs similar to how the ASPSU Center used to operate, allowing parents to tailor their schedules. However, Joanna Yoder—administrative coordinator for the Helen Gordon Center—said she usually recommends the full-day program.
“We charge late-pickup fees for hourly,” Yoder said. “With a full day you have that flexibility. What we’ve tried to indicate is [that] hourly breaks down to be more expensive than any full day program.”
So far, only four or five families have committed to an hourly program. Meanwhile, families not opting for hourly care must choose between full-day schedules Monday–Friday, Monday/Wednesday/Thursday or Tuesday/Thursday.
Ellie Crittenden—a student previously with children at the ASPSU Center—told Portland State Vanguard that she recently spoke with some of the ASPSU Center’s former staff members.
“I did speak to them the other day and they seem much happier and less stressed,” Crittenden stated. “I have also noted many parents on the Discord group stating that they have to bring their children to school with them or attend at home because of the hole that ASPSU has left on campus.”
