The report concludes:

"Given current trends in university student populations and the increasing numbers of two-parent working families, the need for stable, long-term university based child care is evident. Given accumulating evidence regarding preventive health programs and the overall importance of the preschool years, comprehensive child care programs involving both direct and indirect services will become increasingly important to Canadian society."^l

As a result of this study, the Committee on the Status of Women in Universities, reporting on the progress made by AUCC member institutions regarding the status of day care services, recommended and approved the following in November, 1976:²

"That, in accordance with the practice in a number of Canadian universities, all universities become directly involved in the planning and initial development of child care programs, taking into account the following guidelines:

"(a) demographic data be coherently and consistently collected to allow for long-term planning and identification of need for child care services;

"(b) child care programs be administered and operated by legally incorporated non-profit community boards or parent cooperatives, within the licensing authority and funding guidelines of provincial child care programs;

"(c) persons involved with child care programs and the academic community-cooperate to develop adult support systems, child care resource materials and viable program options including both group and family-based services; and

"(d) universities consider in the planning of capital facilities, the need for child care space in university building programs."

In broad terms, educational institutions need to be encouraged to examine child care services as a potential component of their overall services to students and other constituent groups for many reasons. Some of these reasons are:

1. The population of students is changing as more older adults return to education. Older married students will require services related to family needs and management if they are to make full and effective use of their time in an educational program. Such services may need to be extended to dependent family members at various times. In addition to child care, such services might include: financial assistance and management; health services; personal counseling; housing, etc. Many educational institutions already offer these other services on some basis.

2. Child care services, both direct and indirect, make an important contribution to the growth and development of a parent in terms of both personal well-being and occupational/professional competence. The correlation is indirect, but very real, nevertheless.

3. Married women who have young children and who are not working represent a large untapped source of potential students. In these days of declining enrolments, most educational institutions will need to make any support services, offered to such potential student groups, as attractive as possible.

4. Drop-in or casual child care services are not all that difficult to operate. The greatest hurdle is setting up the service and developing administrative procedures which will allow students to use the services at any time of the day or evening, for weekend conferences, and so on. More and more examples of such creative administrative leadership are appearing in .course catalogues. For example, the 1978 Fall catalogue for Humber College (Rexdale, Ontario) indicates that a "Children's Activity Centre" will be available on a fee-for-service basis to parents with young children who wish to leave them in a supervised area for a few hours during the day.

^1. E. M. McLeod, op. cit., p. 41

^2. Second report of the committee of the Status of Women in Universities on the progress made by AUCC member institutions regarding the status of women. (Ottawa: AUCC, 1977), p. 11 - 12.