LSU Faculty Senate grappled with privatization of the LSU Child Care Center at its Monday meeting in the Student Union’s Capital Chamber. It ultimately tabled the discussion before an internal committee’s December deadline to produce a decision.
The issue rose to the surface Oct. 26, when LSU Vice President of Finance and Administration Dan Layzell and Director of Auxiliary Services Margot Carroll announced the university is “looking into the possibility to hand over the operation of the CCC at LSU to an outside company,” according to a report compiled by Faculty Senator and assistant professor of German Gundela Hachmann.
Hachmann reported companies the university administration is considering include Bright Horizons Family Solutions — the largest provider of employer-sponsored childcare in the U.S. — along with nationally recognized brands KinderCare and Children’s Creative Learning Centers — both part of Knowledge Universe, a private company.
“Nobody is entirely sure why Auxiliary Services is overseeing the Child Care Center,” Hachmann said.
However, Hachmann also acknowledged brewing fears about what privatization could mean for the CCC. Common concerns included weaker curriculum designs, rising teacher-to-student ratios, letting go of qualified teachers, less professional development opportunities and increased teacher turnover.
She said parents expressed worries that “inflexible policies from a distant corporation will not account for the unique needs of the LSU community.”
“It is the purpose of the university to raise the quality of lives for those who instruct in an elementary bubble,” Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope said.
Jessica Tillman, LSU CCC interim director, said the center has about 180 students — from ages of 6 weeks to 4 years — enrolled. Layzell said in an email CCC’s operating budget is $1.7 million, and it does not receive any institutional subsidies from LSU.
There were management problems within the CCC for the past couple years, Hachmann said, as the director position remains vacant.
Structurally and operationally distinct from the CCC, the LSU Child Development Laboratory Preschool enrolls 20 students aged 3-4 years and has an operating budget of $170,000 on top of $88,000 in institutional subsidies, according to Layzell’s email.
Hachmann asked faculty senators why maintaining two different early childhood education centers was necessary, especially since the preschool is generously supported despite only serving 20 students.
Though the preschool’s one-to-three-year wait list caters to a small percentage of applicants, senators said it serves as a historic artifact and invaluable resource for research purposes.
Faculty Senate member Lillian Bridwell-Bowles said LSU administration could add the CCC dilemma to a list of eroding faculty benefits.
“Privatizing child care is the worst thing I can think of,” Bowles said. “This is a real recruiting issue for LSU.”