Child Development

Confidentiality and Ethics

Child care sponsored by a university contains elements that make the program different than an early childhood center operated by a community organization or business. Campus-based child care can be sponsored by many different types of agencies or groups within a university. Often, these programs operate under the umbrella of one unit or part of the university system. These might be organizations such as student services, a university administrative unit such as human resources or an academic unit or program. The ASCDL currently operates as a partnership between the Associated Students organization and the university academic Child Development program. This joint sponsorship means that this program serves multiple groups or constituencies. The two primary groups that use the ASCDL are university students who are parents and use the ASCDL services to provide child care for their child while they are in class, and university students who have classes with assignments based at the ASCDL. In addition, much of the care of children is provided by university students. Because of the differing circumstances of the groups using the ASCDL services and the 15 week base of the academic schedule, there are many changes that makes campus-based child care unique.

Elements of change in campus-based child care from semester to semester

  • Child care schedules for children and families based on changing classes of parents
  • Working schedules of staff as their class schedules change
  • New set of student teachers each semester
  • Change of students completing classroom-based assignments

Elements of change in campus-based child care compared to non-educational facilities

  • Mid-semester week-long breaks
  • Breaks of several weeks between fall and spring semester
  • Summer breaks

In sum, these "changes" mean that the program, which is focused on relationship-based philosophy, is one where continuity is found in the placement in each classroom of career teaching staff. It is a key to quality experiences for the children, families, and students.