Pasadena City College was awarded a $500,000 grant to expand its Family Resource Center services.

The resource center was launched January 2022 to provide tutoring and other support services for students who are parents of young children.

The community project grant was funded in December’s omnibus bill and was requested by Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena.

“Becoming a parent should never limit Californians’ opportunities to obtain a higher degree or learn a trade, and that’s why it’s so critical for institutions of higher education to provide student parents with resources and support,” Chu said in a news release. “I look forward to seeing this funding in action and to continued collaboration and partnership between the federal government and vital centers of learning in the San Gabriel Valley like PCC.”

The grant will be used to expand private lactating spaces for mothers at the main campus and three satellite centers.

The resource center expansion seeks to build on the school’s Child Development Center, which provides daycare for students with children up to 5 years old, as well as experiential learning for students in child development courses.

“We are so excited to be able to add to our services for parenting students,” PCC Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas said in a release. “Parents know as well as anyone that it’s impossible to predict what will happen every day. This grant will help us enhance our parenting students’ ability to respond to challenges as they arise while keeping a focus on their studies and completing their educational goals.”