A-State Ranks High in ‘Best Colleges for Parents with Children’
JONESBORO — The online site, BestColleges.com, ranks Arkansas State University in the top 10 in “Best Colleges for Parents with Children” in 2016. A-State is ranked ninth among the 50 institutions cited by the website.
The ranking outlines the role and substance of the Childhood Services department that has been a community service outreach of Arkansas State’s College of Education and Behavioral Science for more than 40 years. The department provides professional development for teachers and administrators in early childhood and youth development programs across the state. Childhood Services also supports continuous quality improvement through assessment, technical assistance, and training for programs participating in the Arkansas Better Beginnings quality rating and improvement system.
In 2007, Childhood Services opened the Child Development and Research Center on campus, which provides childcare and early education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. A second center opened in 2015, bringing the total enrollment capacity of the on-campus childcare program to 198.
Jo Ann Nalley, Director of Childhood Services, stated, “We saw the need for high quality, convenient child care and early education for children of university students, faculty, and staff. Opening the Child Development Center allowed us to serve the A-State family, as well as the Jonesboro community.”
Students with children are automatically eligible for residence in the university's non-traditional student housing units.
The top 10 universities include:
- Purdue University-North Central Campus
- University of Michigan
- Middle Tennessee State University
- University of Florida
- University of Washington
- Chadron State College
- University of Montana-Western
- University of New Orleans
- Arkansas State University
- Eastern Washington University
To access the full 50-member list, go to BestColleges.com. For additional information about the Childhood Services department can contact Director of Childhood Services Jo Ann Nalley at (870) 972-3055 or (888) 429-1585. Staff members may also be reached through email at childserv@astate.edu.
