The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, February 05, 1973, Page PAGE 2, Image 2
Day care funding-like Catch-22 by Dennis Onnen "It's like Catch-22. If you can't get the money, you can't serve the students, but if you don't serve enough students, you can't get the money," said Mary Jo Ryan, director of the Child and Infant Day Care Center. The child center is located at United Ministries in Higher Education (UMHE), and the infant center at First Plymouth Church. Both have been partially funded by ASUN since their beginning. The dilemma facing the centers was complicated Wednesday when the ASUN Budget Committee rejected a request for $702. 'i One of the reasons the committee gave for refusing the request was that the program doesn't appeal to enough students. However, Ryan said she believes the potential for involving more students is limited only by a lack of money. Currently more than 100 students use the center, but she said that there are more than 5,000 married students at UNL. The number of these who have children and could use the centers is very high, she added. She said she receives calls every day from parents wanting to use the Centers. There is a waiting list since the two centers can handle only 50 children at once. University classes, such as child psychology, also use the centers for study purposes, she added. The committee gave two other reasons for turning down the request. One was that ASUN had already provided the centers with $1,000 at the beginning of the year. The other was that the centers had not worked hard enough to get revenue from other sources. The parents of the children at the centers plan to attend the Wednesday's ASUN meeting "in mass" to protest the budget committee's decision, Ryan said. The parents also are talking to state legislators concerning reform of the student fees system, giving students a right to determine the use of their money, she added. Ryan siad that the centers now operate on about a $6,000 deficit. The deficit would be about $10,000 except that the centers stopped providing lunches and snacks for the children, she added. The children currently bring sack lunches. Despite the large deficit, she said, 'The $702 would have helped right now." She explained that many day care centers operate on $100 a child per month. At that rate, the UNL centers would need $8,000 a month to operate since they serve more than 80 children, she said. Besides the annual $1,000 from ASUN, the center ireceived $500 from the UN L Scholarship and v Financial Aids Office and hope to receive $3,000 from other fund-raising activities, Ryan said. , However, she added, the prospects of reaching that figure are not good because many attempts at fund-raising have been opposed. This fall, the parents wanted to sell apples at the football games, but the athletic department objected, saying that it would interfere with concessions, she said. About 50 service stations were asked to help with a car wash, she said, but none would let the parents use their lot. The centers are staffed by about 30 work -study program students, she said. Ryan said the centers will possibly close this semester if they don't get more staff members through work-study. "We'll sell everything before we'll close down," she said. Ryan said that the child center was started by ASUN a few years ago. The center "ran meagerly" on $500 a year when it started, she said. Last January the infant center was added, so ASUN raised the yearly allotment to $1,000. Ryan said the centers still could use more money since they serve three or four times as many students than when they started. It was hoped that UNL would eventually fund the centers' expenses, but because of the University's tight budget, this has not been the case, she said. The centers are now turning to the community for assistance, but there are problems because "the community feels the University should take care of itself," Ryan said. The Rev. Larry Doerr, coordinator of UMHE, is heading an effort to receive financial assistance from the community. He said that if UNL doesn't support the centers, they will be "almost impossible" to sell to Lincoln. Doerr also questioned ASUN's priorities about the difference the centers make in whether some students can go to school or not. Ryan said that the centers were the only group that requested funds and were refused. She said she thinks the request was rejected because she told the ASUN Budget Committee that the centers could continue through the semester without additional money. "I thought it would be better to be honest," she said. r - .if'"- 1 I I , , t . - . L . . r"' y - - ."'."- Day Care Center's Sarah . . .may not be able to create other works of art next semester. The birds, animals & flowers are dying to tell us... "Give a hoot, don't pollute!' '"VI m VH'M'WI! Service at the centers is becoming worse. "We are running out of supplies, and the equipment is falling apart," she said. Children can be admitted to the centers if al least one of the parents is a student at the University, she said. The financial aids office also must determine financial need of the parents. Children are only at the centers when their parents are in class, She added. Rowers may get $900 for dock by John Russnogle A redwood dock which all UNL students would be able to use will be constructed with money received from ASUN, according to UNL crew coach Allan May bee. ASUN may give final approval this week to its budget which includes $900 for the rowing team. Maybee said the dock, which would be built at the crew's boathouse and then transferred to Branched Oak Lake, could be used by all students for diving, canoeing, sailboating and other water sports. He said the rowing team did not want to isolate itself from students as some other athletic groups do. University aquatics 'The dock could be the center or start of a University-sponsored aquatic program," he said. It would be an excellent opportunity for the recreation center to give lessons, he added. The rowing team will not be able to continue if they do not receive the funds, Maybee said. The existing docks at the lakiPX are too high to be used to lower the shells into the lake. Last year the crew used an old shell which they carried into the lake and then climbed in. The shells the crew is using this year would be ruined if used in the same manner, he said. i ii ii m u Spring meets He said other teams scheduled to compete at Nebraska this spring would not compete if the dock is not built. If built, the dock will consist of three, 16-foot sections bolted together, he said. It will be constructed with redwood planks and flooring and will float on styrofoam blocks. The carrying capacity of the dock will be approximately 10,000 lbs. which will eliminate any chance of it swamping or tipping, he said. The total cost of the dock will be more than $1,300, according to Maybee. The difference between the ASUN funds and the actual cost will be made up with money received from projects initiated by the team last fall, he said. Monday 10:00-12:00 noon-Campus Crusade, Prayer & Praise, Navigators, inter Varsity Christina Fellowship-Nebraska Union. 10:00 e.m. -Student Affairs-student development-Nebraska Union 10:30 a.m. -Student Development Programs-building use meeting-Union 11:46 a.m. -American Federation of Teachers executives-Union 12:30 p.m. -Arts & Science Advisory Board-Union 1:00-3:00 p.m. -Campus Crusade, Prayer & Praise, Navigators, Inter Varsity Christina Fellowship-Union 1:00 p.m. -Art Lending Library-Union 3:30 p. m, -Latter Day Saint Student Organization-Union 6:00 p.m.-Towne Club-Union 6:00 p.m. -Special Services tutoring Union 6:30 p.m. -Special Servlces-'BAD" Rehearsal Union 8:00 p.m. -Afro American Collegiate Society-Union 9:00 p.m. -Kappa Psl-Unlon 9:00 p.m. -Kappa Alpha Psl-Unlon BIG BY ' FAMILY RESTAURANT HOME OF THE ORIGINAL DOUBLE DECK BURGER AliD DQUCLE THICK FlflCfi TOAST BUY ONE GET ONE FREE ( with coupon) 701 North 27 Lincoln (Offer Expires April 15, 1973) r doily rtcbrcskon New. Editor; Tch..! "o.j" T.Zn Ed,tr: Ch"V W.stcott ChJToi EST AlaffiL . Photography The Daily Nebraskanli written Irtu CnBnpM. spring wmesters except holldayi e7v.catlon. 0hUt fa" and Copyright 1973, The Daily Nehr.dn , without permission if attributed tc ttl bSll wi"' b reprlntd material covered by another copyright V Nebrn. axceptlng StreetsLincoln, Neb, page 2 daily nebraskan monday, february 5, 1973