University of Wisconsin Student Services Finance Committee listened to Child Care Tuition Assistance Program present its 2016-2017 program budget Monday.

Any student organization or program not part of the Associated Students of Madison goes through the SSFC for its annual budget funding. The organization or program presents its budget and explains why it needs the funds to the SSFC.

Cigdem Unal, UW School of Education Office of Child Care and Family Resources the director, explained CCTAP’s annual agenda and budgetary needs.

Unal said its mission is to support student parents enrolled at UW, so they can complete their degrees with a reduced cost of child care. CCTAP supports the students’ dual roles by providing financial grants for high-quality early care and education for children of student parents, Unal said.

“Accessibility to affordable child care is top priority,” Unal said.“Finding resources to educate and support student families to address isolation, stress, mental health and child managements issues while balancing degree studies and employment.”

Nationally, five million or 26 percent of all undergraduates are raising children while in school. Here at UW, Unal said, 97 percent of undergraduate student parents say that adequate child care arrangements are necessary for them to focus in school, attend class and succeed academically.

Student parents as well as their children benefit from this program, Unal said. Increased funding to CCTAP can be seen as an investment in the future of children, she said.

Increased funding from SSFC last year allowed CCTAP to increase child care for graduate students. CCTAP is looking for the same budget of $1,082,143, Unal said, in order to be able to continue providing these services.

This budget will allow the program to continue to annually award about 250 grants based on marital status and family income. The grants range from $800 to $3,000, Jen Templing, CCTAP program coordinator, said.

“Other additional services include 120 hours of evening care, 2,100 hours of sick or back-up care to about 70 student families and 25 parent education and support activities that are attended by about 300 students as participants, workers, volunteers and/or presenters,” Unal said.

SSFC will decide whether or not to grant CCTAP its desired budget on Thursday.