University of Utah students will have access to part-time, on-campus infant care for the first time starting Jan. 12.

Since the ASUU Child Care Center opened in 2001, its services have expanded from caring for children 3-5 years old to 6 weeks to 6 years old. The center will hold an open house Jan. 15, 4 – 6 p.m., allowing visitors to tour the new infant room as well as the other child care spaces.

Before the addition of this new room, there were only 28 infant child care slots available on campus through a variety of child care programs, and all of these provided full-time care only.

“Student parents generally need part-time care but have only full-time care options,” said Shauna Lower, director of the U’s Center for Child Care and Family Resources. “When the infant care room opens on Jan. 12, it will be the only program on campus and in the Salt Lake metropolitan area that provides part-time care for infants.”

The center is located in the basement of the Alfred Emery Building on Presidents Circle and is open Monday through Friday, 7:15 a.m. to 9 p.m. In addition to enrolled families, the center provides drop-in child care for students, faculty and staff Monday through Thursday, 5 – 9 p.m.

The center, which was created by students, employs five full-time staff members and 28 part-time staff, many of whom are students in the U’s Early Childhood Education program.

The rates are determined on a sliding scale based on the parent’s income. While the facility is designed to meet the needs of students, it is available to faculty, staff and even community members if space permits. The U’s Center for Child Care and Family Resources is available to help university faculty and staff find child care options that work best for them.