Support UC Parents!

Parents who work, study, or teach at UC are threatened by proposed budget cuts to childcare programs. UC Berkeley's campus community will be negatively affected if these budget cuts go through. Please voice your concern and support regarding these budget cuts by contacting the following officials at UC Berkeley. Just put in your name, e-mail address, and customize your message, and your message will be on its way.

Please select the people you would like to receive your e-mail:

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau
Vice Chancellor of Inclusion and Equity, Gibor Basri
Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Harry Le Grande
Graduate Dean Andrew J. Szeri

Please fill out the following information about yourself:

Name:
E-mail:

Please customize the text of the e-mail you would like to send:

Dear [Recipient's Name],

I would like to voice my deep concern regarding possible changes to policies that may negatively affect some of my fellow students and graduate students ability to work and study at UC Berkeley and, in turn, perhaps even the quality of my own educational experience at Cal. Recently, the Early Childcare Education Program (ECEP) has decided to completely cut childcare subsidies for student parents, leading to a 60% hike in childcare fees for student parents starting as early as next semester. On such a short notice, there is virtually no way that students and graduate students will be able to adjust to the new astronomical monthly childcare fees of $1570 a month for toddlers, or $1650 a month for infants. These amounts are well beyond the means of any student--indeed, they are well out of reach for any student who decides to work full time while in school, let alone students who must juggle the enormous responsibility of being parents at the same time! This hike will affect the ability of many GSIs and undergraduate students to be a part of the UC Berkeley community. Many may have to make decisions that will negatively affect their potential for success in the UC Berkeley academic community, like dropping out of school or refraining from pursuing future options. Those negative decisions, caused by the elimination of childcare subsidies, will have a direct affect on the quality and level of education at Berkeley, given that a particular cross-section of our society will find it increasingly difficult to attend our university. If this happens, serious issues regarding inclusion and equity will certainly arise. I support UC Berkeley's ongoing effort to make sure that it is an inclusive and equitable environment not only for those of us on campus, but for all people in this state and country. I hope that the University will do what it can to stay true to this tradition and aspiration by supporting student parents by ensuring that they have access to subsidies while other funding options are pursued. Please allow us to be the best students we can be by attracting to the university the best possible teachers and students, coming from the greatest possible variety of life experiences.