CFCC expands free childcare services for student parents
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Cape Fear Community College has opened a new permanent facility for its free drop-in childcare center, expanding a program designed to help student parents balance school and childcare.
The new center is located on CFCC’s Downtown campus next to the Bonnie Sanders Burney Child Development Center.
The program launched in August 2023 as the first free drop-in community college childcare program in North Carolina. It initially operated out of a temporary space serving about 20 children before moving to an expanded location in 2024.
The program has now moved into a 2,550-square-foot facility designed specifically for early learning and flexible childcare. The center also includes a 3,000-square-foot outdoor learning environment, which is expected to open at the end of September.
The facility was renovated from the former CFCC dental clinic space. The dental clinic has since moved to the Saklad Health and Human Services Center.
The new center includes:
- Expanded infant care: An enclosed, quiet area designed specifically for infants.
- Flexible learning zones: An open classroom layout with multiple learning centers for children ages 6 months through 12 years.
- Outdoor learning environment: A dedicated 3,000-square-foot space designed for play-based education and physical development.
CFCC President Jim Morton said childcare costs and availability can be a major barrier for student parents. “For many student-parents, affordable, reliable childcare is the single greatest obstacle to completing a degree or credential,” Morton said.
He said the new facility represents a long-term investment in students and their families.
Over the past year, CFCC provided 10,966 hours of free childcare, which the college estimates saved student parents approximately $154,000 in childcare costs.
The center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
More information about CFCC’s drop-in childcare services is available through CFCC’s drop-in childcare webpage.
