Family Night invites student parents to give input on childcare needs

LA GRANDE, Oregon – All Eastern Oregon University student parents, their spouses, partners and children are invited to a Family Night, Tuesday, Nov. 28 in the Hoke Union Building at EOU.

Dinner will be served in the RFoC Dinning Hall from 5:30-7 p.m. at no charge and a holiday party with crafts for everyone will follow in the Hoke Main Lounge from 7-9 p.m.

The SAGE Women’s Research and Resource Center and the Student Activities, Eastern Student Entertainment and Student Affairs offices are sponsoring the event. The intent of Family Night is to seek feedback from student parents on childcare issues.

“We want to establish a connection with the student parents at EOU and are hoping this event will help gauge just how many student parents there are and determine how great the need is for childcare on campus,” said Lisa Greif, childcare advocate with the SAGE Women’s Research and Resource Center at EOU.

Childcare services associated with the organization Headstart were last offered at EOU in the mid 1980s. The need for assistance in some form or another is becoming increasingly important, said Greif, a junior at EOU.

“Family Night is for the entire family because family is a huge part of a student parent’s life. We want them to feel comfortable and welcome on campus,” she said.

Immediate goals include providing vouchers or scholarships to help students find and pay for childcare services available in the community. Student parents can also sign up for a new listserv to receive news about upcoming events, compare options for childcare and share questions and concerns.

One of the long-term goals is to establish a space for childcare services on campus, but Greif said the main initiative right now is to provide continuity in the type of assistance offered.

For more information contact Greif at 962-3021 or via e-mail at greifl@eou.edu.

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