Associated Students, Inc. may close the Children?s Center evening program after this semester, despite efforts to boost enrollment and lower operating costs.

The Center sees between 15-21 children a night, according to Director Teri Mahan.

“Our goal was 28 kids, but we are hoping to receive at least 21 a night,” Mahan said. “A decision will be made this semester by ASI whether to keep the evening program or not if our numbers are consistently low,”

The Center?s evening service runs separately from the day operation, which is filled to capacity every year. ASI split the programs at the start of last semester by moving the evening group into a smaller annex, paring down staff, cutting food service and altering the fee structure to jumpstart enrollment and increase profitability, but so far it hasn?t worked, according to Mahan.

“We are trying to make the program self-sufficient, which is why we attempt to target those numbers every night,” Mahan said. “I?ve looked into other childcare centers with evening programs and they all have lower numbers. It?s not uncommon.”

Mahan said she has many parents who help with publicity of the center and its evening program.

“We have put a few ads in The State Hornet and at the junior colleges, stressing that we have evening care available to students and faculty. We also spread the word out during transfer student orientation,” she said.

One of the parents who passed out fliers is a graduate student and mother of two, Donna Dexter.

“I can?t go to school unless I have evening care for my children,” Dexter said. “All my classes are at night,”

Dexter believes that if ASI closes the evening program, it will give the association bad publicity.

“I wish I could ask ASI if it?s more important to pay for subsidized ski lessons with Peak Adventures or for parents who need child care to go to school,” Dexter said. “This child care issue is a symptom of a policy problem at Sac State.”

“There is a waiting list for the Children?s Center right now, but I doubt there is a waiting list for Peak Adventures skiing lessons.” Dexter said. “We pay fees, we deserve services.”

Mahan said that if the evening program closes, some of her staff will be without jobs and many parents will be without evening care.

“If the evening program closes, my job will no longer exist, but I took this job knowing it may end one day,” Evening Coordinator Tina Aguilar said. “I feel bad for the parents who may not have another option.