SUNY extends paid internship program

BY ALEKSANDRA SIDOROVA News & Managing Editor

The year-long paid internship program at child care centers at 15 SUNY campuses was meant to end when 2022 did, but will now continue until the end of the spring semester.

SUNY Plattsburgh’s child care center received $14,537 of the $183,000 sum SUNY provided for 13 SUNY campuses to continue the pro- gram. Two had enough funding left over from the previous year to sustain the program during the spring semester.

Child Care Center Director Sally Girard said there are currently five student interns, of which one continued from the fall semester, one previously worked as a temporary service employee and three are completely new to the center. All students are part of the education department, although students in the human development and family relations department are welcome to apply as well. They work from 12 to 20 hours a week, earning $14.20 an hour, a $1 increase in state minimum wage since last year.

Girard started asking Maureen Maillard, SUNY’s manager of child care services, about pos- sibly extending the program mid-fall, unaware that the child care centers at other SUNY campuses were asking the same.

Maillard said a major reason for extending the program was its success, which she measured in the almost complete use of initial funds granted in January 2022 and overwhelmingly positive feedback she received from both center directors and interns.