N4C History

The seeds of N4C were sown during the activist climate of the 1970s in Riverside, California, where an informal non-profit organization was formed called the Robert F. Kennedy Council for Campus Child Care. The Council's major goal was to promote quality, comprehensive child care at institutions of higher education, so that it would be available for all students who sought it and for all children who needed it.

After several transitions resulting from the growth of the organization and the needs of its members, the National Coalition for Campus Child Care was formally incorporated as a membership organization in 1983. In 1996 it became the National Coalition for Campus Children's Centers.

Historical Timeline at a Glance

Beginnings

 Before N4C
Directors of campus children's centers met informally at NAEYC conferences to talk about campus issues, a tradition that continues to this day.
 1970
Rae Burrell, a student parent at the University of California, Riverside, applies for and receives a Robert F. Kennedy Foundation grant to organize the Robert F. Kennedy Council for Campus Child Care (RFK-CCC). Its focus is political: promoting high-quality child care on college campuses.
 1971
The first annual conference is held in Washington, DC. Through the 1970s, the organization's focus gradually broadens to include program and curriculum issues.
 Late 1970s
Grant money from the Kennedy Foundation runs out, and members assume more control of the organization. Dr. Harriet Alger of Lorain, Ohio, leads the group toward a more professional focus, and the name changes to the National Coalition for Campus Child Care.

1980s & 1990s

 1983
N4C is incorporated as a dues-paying membership organization, with a permanent office at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
 1990
Strategic planning produces a long-range plan for the decade.
 1990s
N4C chapters are established. Campus centers continue to evolve as laboratory schools and service-oriented centers begin merging their functions into integrated programs.
 1996
The Governing Board changes the organization's name to the National Coalition for Campus Children's Centers to reflect a broader focus. The CAMPUSCARE-L listserv is established through the ERIC system. Now called the N4C Listserv, it continues today as an unmoderated discussion forum and networking tool for members.
 1997
N4C gains 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. The central office moves to Chicago through a contract with Burnison, Chasnoff and Associates (BCA).
 1998
The Governing Board and membership work to persuade Congress to include grants for student-parent child care in the reauthorized Higher Education Act. The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 create Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS).
 1999
The first CCAMPIS grants are awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.

2000s & 2010s

 2001
The central office returns to a campus setting at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Membership continues to grow.
 2002
N4C celebrates 30 years at its annual conference in San Antonio, Texas.
 2003
The Governing Board expands from 15 to 17 members.
 2004
The annual conference is held in Seattle, Washington. Membership reaches a record 617 members.
 2009
Staff offices move to Folsom, California.
 2012
N4C celebrates 40 years at its annual conference in Austin, Texas.
 2016
The N4C office moves to Franklin, Tennessee.
 2018
N4C launches Celebrating Campus Children's Centers Week, an annual observance that spreads awareness of the impact campus centers have on children, student parents, and their communities.

2020s

 2020–2022
The COVID-19 pandemic suspends in-person gatherings, and N4C holds its first virtual conferences.
 2023
Members gather in person again at the annual conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The N4C office moves to Winterville, Georgia, and a new Executive Director is appointed.
 2024
N4C enjoys one of its largest memberships ever and its biggest conference attendance.

N4C Today

Annual Conference

Each spring, the Annual Conference & Professional Institute brings together directors, faculty, and teachers from campus children's centers nationwide.

N4C Listserv

Since 1996, an unmoderated discussion forum and networking tool where members share ideas and support.

CCAMPIS Peer Support

Regular virtual meetings where campus CCAMPIS grantees share practices, troubleshoot challenges, and support one another.

N4C at NAEYC

Continuing a decades-old tradition, campus center directors connect at the NAEYC conference each year.

Over five decades of supporting excellence in programs for young children in communities of higher learning.