Rollins College Launches Free Evening Childcare to Support Student-Parents

Key Highlights :

Rollins College introduces free after-dark childcare for parents with evening classes.

Program provides secure, active care for kids 5 to 11, Monday to Thursday, 4:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Key Background :

Rollins College's Evening EduCare program was established to answer one of the biggest challenges for adult learners: child care after evening classes end. Traditional day-care facilities are usually closing by midevening, yet college courses run well into the evenings, with limited or no low-cost choices available for parents. Seeing this problem, Rollins College developed a program that specifically benefits its student-parents and also helps increase the quality of life for their children.

This semester is the first in which the program has been paid for through the Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation grant. When initially instituted last spring and summer of 2025, the families were required to pay a minimal $5 an hour. Although relatively inexpensive relative to most child care programs, the additional cost still posed a hardship for some students. The new investments guarantee that there is equal access and no parent has to make a choice between education and prosperity.

Evening EduCare is housed in the Hume House Child Development & Student Research Center, a 50-year-old organization dedicated to advancing child development research and education. Its past history of academic development and early childhood education innovation made it the perfect site for the new initiative. Learning by play and discovery is the center's philosophy, ideals that extend to evening programs.

Unlike most after-school programs, EduCare offers a highly structured setting with interaction and growth. All activities have been formulated to engage children's interest and build fundamental skills. From hands-on science experiments to group art and team games, all activities are designed with purpose: to create social, cognitive, and emotional growth. The no-electronics policy guarantees that children engage meaningfully with teachers and friends, not minimally with screens.

The model of staffing is one distinguishing characteristic. Six children per adult is a program ratio far greater than Florida's requirements for childcare. With such a low ratio, safety, one-on-one time, and freedom to lead children through problems such as conflict or feelings management are assured. Parents not only have peace of mind but also have the assurance that their children are experiencing a growth-based environment.

Success testimonies for the program are provided by families that take part in it. Student-parent Shannae Greene owes the program to be life-changing. She is able to study business management without fear, knowing her daughter is in a safe and engaging environment. Rylii, Greene's daughter, sings high praises about activities and frequently calls her evening at EduCare a highlight of her day.

In commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Child Development and Student Research Center, Rollins College is signing up for a clear and loud message: education is a family affair. By providing parents with support in the guise of childcare, the college is not only ensuring student success but making experiences richer for the next generation, too.

About the Author

Mia Jones

Mia Jones is a Managing Editor at Education Excellence Magazine.