Are you stressed out from a crazy week full of tests and assignments? Are you recovering from a wild weekend out on the town? Maybe you’re just anxious about an upcoming presentation?

Well, your worries are nothing compared to some problems on this campus. There are some students who have a much bigger concern on their mind: childcare. And this issue extends to University faculty members and staff.

The effectiveness of University childcare may have a long history, but a bigger fuss – perhaps even a temper tantrum – needs to be made about the current services available to faculty members, students and staff.

According to a Aug. 22 article in The Red & Black, there are only 56 spots in the McPhaul Center. With that kind of availability, the McPhaul Center has no choice but to turn away hundreds of children.

This means their parents, our brethren, also are left out in the cold. As a result, those in need of daycare must undergo extra measures to find another facility for their children.

These parents must devote additional time and money, which could be better spent elsewhere, to finding a reasonablypriced, top-notch daycare in a good location.

I can only imagine how hard it is for our own faculty members and staff to have no campus access to childcare. Any type of convenience is thrown out the window. It makes their lives much more difficult.

As a student, I know that making it to class on time is hard enough – half the time, I’m late. Add a child into the equation and it would be nearly impossible.

Students who are parents juggle so much already and they shouldn’t have to stress about adequate daycare for their children.

Unfortunately, these daily hassles are a reality. Waiting lists for campus childcare do exist.

In fact, the McPhaul Center’s Web site states, “parents should generally expect to wait up to two years before enrollment into a Child Development Lab classroom.” This leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Since campus childcare plays a huge role in faculty recruitment and satisfaction, University officials should rank it a top priority.

It’s past time for University President Michael Adams to learn the ABC’s about adequate childcare options on campus.

The UGA Childcare Coalition has the right idea when they ask for additional childcare funds and better facilities from the University.

If raising tuition costs can help the childcare problem, then so be it. Donations collected from the greater Athens area or even statewide could aid in construction costs for a new facility.

Although it might not be as easy as stealing candy from a baby, childcare improvements can be made. Small investments and gestures of kindness can go a long way.

After all, these children are our future – they deserve the chance to get a good, solid education. Instead of saying “oh, no,” we need a childcare facility on this campus that leaves us saying, “oh, baby.”

- Jenna Martin is a senior from Augusta majoring in newspapers.