The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 73/No. 30      August 10, 2009

 
N.Y. students protest child-care cuts
 
BY WILLIE COTTON  
NEW YORK—Dozens rallied in front of Hunter College July 22 protesting the administration’s plans to eliminate 25 percent of the space used by the Children’s Learning Center (CLC) on campus. The center provides affordable child care for graduate students and undergraduates attending the school. Hunter plans to convert one of the four classrooms used by CLC into administrative space.

“I heard about this protest on Facebook and thought I should come show support,” said Mariya Yefremova, president of the Political Science Association and a member of the Women’s Rights Coalition. “Hunter College is great, but this is like a slap in the face.”

College officials justify the cuts by saying that the space is underutilized. The current child-care capacity of the center is 68 children. The 25 percent cut brings the capacity down to the fall 2008 enrollment.

Protesters countered the officials’ claims, explaining that the center’s availability to students who need its services has not been adequately promoted. As of July 22 information on the CLC was not readily available to view on the college’s Web site.

“I didn’t even know we had child care available here!” said one campus worker who walked by the protest.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home