The Children?s Center evening program will operate next year, regardless of whether it can get the 21 users needed to pay for the program.

The evening program was included in next year?s Associated Students, Inc., budget as an amendment passed by the board April 18. The amendment, devised by the Parental Advisory Council with the help of ASI, will keep the Children?s Center open until 10 p.m., later than its current closing time of 8:30 p.m.

The program will cost $12 per session for student parents and $13.25 for faculty and staff. It will be held in an expansion building on the Children?s Center grounds and will have a capacity of 28.

According to the amendment, the program will need 75 percent enrollment, or 21 children and a full staff to “continue operation.” ASI Executive Director Carol Ackerson guaranteed that the program will operate for at least the next year.

“The program will be operated,” Ackerson said. “We have to give it a try.”

The PAC will assess the program throughout the year, according to Chris Miller, PAC chair.

“If we are unable to have 21 people, we are going to have to reassess [next year],” Ackerson said.

Children?s Center Director Teri Mahan is optimistic that the program will attract the 21 children it needs to avoid going into debt. The program currently serves about 40 children after 6 p.m., according to Mahan?s estimates. However, some of the younger children and infants will not meet the new age requirement of “2.6 years of age through completion of the second grade,” according to the amendment.

Raising the program?s hours will increase its accessibility, said Associate Director Pat Worely.

“The reality of the situation is in being sensitive to student parents,” Worely said.Staffing to run the program is also an issue, according to Worely. Worely initially refused to comment on whether the program would run if it cannot find full staffing without first conferring with Ackerson. However, Worely later confirmed Ackerson?s statements, saying that the program would run “unless really something completely at the extreme happens.”

Worely cited such circumstances as understaffing or lack of usage.

“If we cannot successfully find staffing to meet the minimum requirement that our licensing requires, we?re going to have a tough time running the program,” Worely said.

The Children?s Center is now seeking an evening coordinator and student assistants for next year?s evening program.

“Historically, it has been difficult to hire an evening coordinator,” Worley told The State Hornet in a previous interview. “If we don?t have the staff to run it, we?re going to be pretty hard pressed to run the service.”

Although Ackerson has guaranteed a green light for the program, Worely has since declined to comment on whether the program would run if it cannot find full staffing, wishing first to confer with Ackerson.