SR-301-001 (3)
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RP:DTA:VR
July 8, 1986
Santa Monica, California
TO:
Mayor and city Council
FROM:
city staff
SUBJECT:
Recommendations Related to the Expansion of
Child Care Facilities and Programming in the
city of Santa Monica
INTRODUCTION
This staff report provides Council with background information on
a range of issues relating to child care and child care services.
The purpose of the report is to provide Council with an overview
of child care concerns in Santa Monica and to suggest action in
various areas which could help to expand the availability of
quality child care in the City.
The report provides specific information about programs at the
state and local levels aimed at expanding child care services in
California and provides information on the availability of child
care programs currently offered through the City.
The report
recommends that Council allocate $5,000 for participation in the
California Child Care Initiative sponsored by the BankAmerica
Foundation, and direct staff to: pursue state grants for
afterschool care for junior high age children and the purchase of
modular units for child care use; explore the use of developer
mitigation fees to expand child care facilities in city parks;
and pursue the development of day camp recreation programs for
spring and winter school breaks and other school holidays.
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BACKGROUND
As part of its 1985-86 budget objectives, the Recreation and
Parks Department was asked to evaluate the feasibility of
expanding child care programs in parks and park facilities. City
staff has worked with members of the Santa Monica Child Care Task
Force, which includes staff of the Santa Monica/Malibu School
District, Santa Monica College, Connections for Children, and
non-profit child care providers, in preparing the information
contained in this program report.
Local Child Care Needs
The need for child care services has dramatically increased over
the past decade with an estimated 48% of mothers of children
under 1 year old now participating in the workforce. Previous
needs assessments conducted within santa Monica have suggested
that the greatest need exists for infant care and after-school
and summer care for school-age children.
While Santa Monica has a number of high quality child care
programs available in the city, the programs have long waiting
lists and find it nearly impossible to locate appropriate sites
for program expansion. Last year alone four child care programs
left the city after being unable to rent affordable facilities.
A few programs are housed in underutilized school district
facilities which may be converted in the near future to
income-producing uses for the district.
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There are a number of ways in which day care needs in Santa
Monica can be addressed. These include encouraging individuals
to get involved in the provision of child care services,
reviewing zoning restrictions to ease establishment of child care
programs while protecting local residents, seeking funds for new
programming, making reasonably-priced space available for child
care centers, and structuring Recreation programming to meet the
needs of working parents. All of these approaches are discussed
in this staff report.
City Funded/Sponsored Child Care Support services in Santa Monica
Through its community service grants program, the City currently
provides Connections for Children with $60,000 a year for direct
child care payments for low income families to use at the child
care service of their choice, and provides $57,000 in support for
other activities run by Connections. These include a toy loan
program for family day care providers and local centers, child
care referral and follow-up, referrals for all child-related
services, educational programs including parenting classes in
English and Spanish, workshops and classes for day care
providers, and technical assistance to those currently offering
child care.
In recent years the summer day camp offered through the
Recreation and Parks Department has been expanded to offer
extended hours to accommodate the schedules of working parents.
Presently the program is offered 8 weeks out of the summer from
8am to 6pm. Consideration could be given to extending the camp
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schedule
calendar
needs.
further to begin and end in line with the school
in order to more adequately meet summer child care
Playground activities are offered at all larger city parks and
most elementary school playgrounds for children of elementary
school age. These programs are drop-in only and, while providing
a variety of recreational activities for 400-600 children each
day, do not function as a custodial child care program. No full
day programs are offered for school vacations and holidays
through the department at this time. The department is capable
of providing this additional programming if given additional
staff or through the development of a cost-covering program. in
this staff report.
OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND CHILD CARE SERVICES AND FACILITIES
"California Child Care Initiative"
Based on a statewide needs assessment which highlighted the
shortage of child care services throughout California, a Child
Care Initiative was spear-headed by the BankAmerica Foundation to
expand services by providing recruitment, training and technical
assistance to those interested in providing child care. The
Foundation identified the childcare problem as a scarcity of
quality, affordable child care and designed the Initiative to
address availability, affordability, and quality as related to
child care services.
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Four af the six pilot projects funded by the Initiative in the
first year focus on the creation of additional "day care homes,"
in which a licensed provider cares for children in her own home.
The pilot project in Los Angeles County was funded through the
Santa Monica-based Connections for Children and covers West Los
Angeles, Brentwaod, and century city as well as the South Bay
cities of Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo and Hermosa
Beach. Santa Monica is not included in the 1985-86 project,
which aims to initiate 30 new day care homes wi thin the year,
because no funds were forthcoming from private or public entities
in the Santa Monica area when the program began. The Initiative
program offers classes in quality care and the business aspects
of running a day care program through Santa Monica College for
newly-recruited day care providers.
The Child Care Initiative is a private/public partnership which
is also funded by other large companies such as Chevron, Mervyns
and American Express and by public entities such as Contra Costa
County, Los Angeles County, the city of Sacramento, the State of
California, and the County and City of San Francisco. In order
to be included in the 1986-87 phase of the pilot project, santa
Monica would be expected to provide some funding to the program
(see attached letter from BankAmerica). This would allow Santa
Monica residents to benefit from the training, recruitment and
technical assistance in seeking licensing provided by the
Initiative program.
Day care homes are seen as a particularly appropriate setting for
the care of very young children. In addition the day care home
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provides income for women who wish to earn money while remaining
at home with their own children during the day. "Latchkey
children" who have no care after school can also benefit from day
care homes based in their neighborhoods to which they can go for
custodial care before their parents return home from work. The
California Child Care Initiative has received national
recognition for its unique approach to expanding child care
services. In its first year, 1985-86, it is expected that the
Initiative will facilitate the establishment of 200 day care
homes in the state.
Zoning ordinance
The Child Care Initiative program will establish primarily small
day care homes, for up to six children, but will also facilitate
the establishment of large day care homes, for up to 12 children,
in residential neighborhoods. zoning for large day care homes
has recently been discussed by the Planning Commission. Concern
has been expressed regarding the presence of these homes in R-l
neighborhoods, and the city has been requested to prohibit them
once the state legislation mandating their inclusion in R-l areas
runs out in 1989.
Other cities have made efforts to support the establ ishment of
large day care homes. The City of Irvine encourages such homes
in residential neighborhoods and waives business license fees for
non-profit day care homes. In Oakland, Hayward and Alameda a
review of planning and zoning restrictions on child care led to
the abolition of all zoning restrictions for family day care
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homes. other cities are reviewing requirements and fees for
special use permits for child care to determine their necessity.
After School Care for School Age Children
In recent years a number of city governments in California have
become involved in the provision of after school child care for
school age children. El Cerrito has offered after school and
summer camp child care since 1976 and now has 3 centers which
operate on a cost-covering basis. The city of Los Angeles has
recently been funded by state Latchkey funds to develop
afterschool child care programs at city parks. The city of
Irvine funds modular units located on school playgrounds which
are then leased to non-profit child care providers to run
afterschool child care programs. Sacramento offers 9 before and
after school programs on school sites which are self-supporting
and run under contracts with non-profit providers.
In January, 1986 the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District
received a grant of $100,000 to develop a program for 120
"latchkey Children" whose parents are not home between 3 and 5pm.
The funds were available as a result of legislation sponsored by
Senator Roberti. The program requires that 50% of the enrollees
be full fee paying participants and 50% be subsidized. This
program, which began July l, will serve only children from
Kindergarten through 6th grade and will be located at McKinley,
Edison and Grant Schools.
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The Latchkey Program also identifies after school care for junior
high age as eligible for funding. No such applications were
submitted from Santa Monica in the first funding cycle.
~apital Outlay Funds for School-age Child Care
The Roberti School Age Community Child Care Services Program also
will make one-time capital outlay funds available for the
renovation of existing facilities or purchase of portable
buildings to be located on public land and leased to after school
child care programs for $1 a year. These buildings are currently
being designed by the State of California and are valued at
approximately $60,000 including plumbing.
The city could pursue a grant for the purchase of such a building
for location in an appropriate city park. Staff has identified
Stewart, Ozone, Virginia and Joslyn Parks as ones where such a
portable unit would not interfere with current park and building
usage. If the outlay funds were received, the City would conduct
a competitive proposal process to contract with a quality
afterschool child care provider. Based on the responses to the
Clover Park Fire station Request for Proposal, staff feels that
there would be quality providers interested in the use of such a
facility. Alternatively, the City's Recreation and Parks
Department could also explore running such a program itself.
The use of portable buildings for child care programming in City
parks would assure that the existing recreation facilities which
are heavily used by the public would not be affected.
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Child Care Development Ordinances
San Francisco and Concord have recently adopted development
ordinances to ease the impact of new development on demand for
child care services. In San Francisco, developers of commercial
projects proposing a net addition of at least 50,000 square feet
of office space will be required either to pay a fee of one
dollar per square foot of space to the city I s Affordable Child
Care Fund or to provide a child care center meeting
specifications described in the ordinance. The center would then
be leased rent-free to a non-profit child care provider. This is
an arrangement similar to the one which Santa Monica has with the
Colorado Place development.
Concord's ordinance requires developers of industrial,
commercial, and office projects costing over $40,000 either to
pay a child care impact fee equal to 0.5 percent of development
costs or to provide a child care center meeting the needs of
parents employed in the finished development. Impact fees will
be used to support affordable child care in Concord.
Developer Mitigation Fees in Santa Monica
Santa Monica recently adopted an ordinance requiring mitigation
fees from large developments related to the impact of these
developments on the local community. The ordinance designated
the use of these fees for "the aquisition and development of new
parks or for significant capital improvements which increase the
recreational opportunities of existing parks," as well as for
affordable housing. Mitigation fees are a potential source of
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funds for the purchase and installation of portable child care
units In Santa Monica city parks. The expenditure of the
mitigation fees designated for open space and recreation
facilities will be determined by guidelines yet to be presented
to and approved by Council but could include the installation of
facilities in local parks for child care programs.
Child Care for City Employees
A number of cities and public entities have begun to address the
child care needs of their own employees as discussed below.
Burbank took the lead in the L.A. area in providing child care
for employees by joining a child care consortium with the local
school district and large local employers. The consortium
provided the start-up funds to establish a child care center at a
vacant elementary school. Glendale is now working to replicate
that model in cooperation with two local hospitals and the local
school district.
San Diego is currently seeking bids for a child care operator to
run a center for city employees.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power recently conducted
a needs assessment of their over 10,000 employees regarding major
child care concerns of employees. The Department is now engaged
in a feasibility study to determine what can be done to meet
those needs.
The Iowa Department of Transportation provides an on-site child
care center for employees; the state of New York provides 25
on-site subsidized child care centers for state employees: and
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the states of New Jersey and Arizona are currently running pilot,
on-site, subsidized day care centers for their employees.
In March of this year the City Manager hired a child care
consulting firm to conduct a child care needs assessment of city
employees and to report on options which the City could pursue to
meet those needs as well as the costs involved with each option.
The analysis will include the calculation of the costs to the
city in absenteeism resulting from the unmet needs of employees
for reliable child care arrangements. The consultant report will
be presented to Council in July, 1986.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Currently there is $5,000 available in the nondepartmental
contingency account #01-700-274-000-785 for participation in the
California Childcare Initiative. The $5,000 allocation will be
handled as an extension of the contract which the City has for
child care-related services through connections for Children and
will be matched by private money through the Initiative. The
funding will facilitate the establishment of 6-8 day care homes
in the Santa Monica area which will serve 6 children each, thus
providing additional child care opportunities for 36-48
individual children.
The other recommendations made in this staff report have no
specific budget impact in the immediate future. The receipt of
various grants from the state may require some match in funds or
in-kind contributions. However, Council will have the
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opportunity to approve each individual grant request before it is
submitted.
The use of mitigation fees for purchase of buildings for use as
child care centers would require no general fund contribution.
Day camp and school holiday day care programs are designed as
cost-covering programs which may require additional staff hours.
RECOMl-IENDATIONS
It is recommended that Council:
1. Authorize the expenditure of $5,000 from account
#01-700-274-000-785 for participation in the Child Care
Initiative program organi zed by the BankAmerica Foundation for
the recruitment, training and support of day care home operators
in Santa Monica as an extension of the City I S contract with
Connections for Children.
2. Authorize staff to pursue state grants for the provision of
after school child care for junior high school age students on
school property and/or for the purchase of a portable unit to be
located at Ozone, Stewart, Virginia or Joslyn Parks for rent to a
non-profit child care provider for $1 a year for afterschool or
full day programs.
3. Direct staff to explore the use of developer mitigation fees
to expand child care facilities in city parks.
4. Direct staff to study the feasibility of developing day camp
recreation programs for spring and winter breaks and other school
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holidays on a trial basis to attempt to provide cost-covering
child care programs to serve working parents during those
periods.
Prepared by: Vivian Rothstein
Assistant to the Director
Recreation and Parks
Attachment
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BankAmerica Foundation
Hay 7, 1986
The Honorable Christine Reed
Nayor of Santa l10nica
Santa Monica City Hall
1685 r.1a i n Street
Santa nom ca, CA 90401
Dear tlayor Reed:
It has been brought to our attention that the City of Santa
r~nica is researching ways to support'progra~s that wlll expand the
supply of Chlld care in Santa Monica. We understand that this issue
will be addressed in an upcc~ing staff report. BankftF:erlCa Foundation
has deslgned a progra~, the California Child Care Inltlative, wnlch is
see~lng to address this irbalance beb:een the supply and desand for
licensed quality Chlld care.
The !ni~iative operates through cocwunlty-based child care
resource and referral asencies. These agencies are belng funded to
expand the supply of Chl1d care serVlces by uSlng speclally developed
tools to recfult and train new Chlld care provlders and offer then
technlcal asslstance to get licensed and lnto operation. (A detalled
prograw descflptlon and materials are enclosed.)
Connections for Chlldren in Santa Monica was selected as one
of six agencies around the state to pilot thlS prograo. (Other
agencIes are conductlng pilot prOjects In Kern, San Franclsco, Contra
Costa, and Sacramento count~es.) The project goal for the Santa
Monica pllot is to recruit and train at least 40 new fa~ily day care
provlders and supply techn,cal assistance to hel~ them thraush the
licenslr.g process. This translates lnto mere than 200 neH SDaces for
children. At the prese~t time, the Inltla~lve-wide pllot soal of 200
new provlders and lCOO new spaces for chlldren has reached ~ore than
the half-way nark.
8an~ c' ;.re"c.l Ccr'cr Bcx 3T:~O S.l1 F'Jrc-scc C.l,.rcrrIJ 9.113 7 r~' 5.1953 3175
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The Honorable Christine Reed
Mayor or Santa Mon1ca
May 7. 1986
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The Initiat1ve is the largest public-private partnership for
Ch1ld care in the nation. Currently there are thirteen pr1vate sector
and SlX public sector funders. Each of the public sector funders
throu~h their partnership in the Initiative has shown support for the
supply-building pilot in their co~nunlty.
We are now working on plans to expand the Initiative to e1ght
more agencies bring1ng t~e total to fourteen. Private funders have
indlcated an interest 1n cont1nued fundlng. and the Depart~ent of
Health and Human Serv1ces has awarded the Initiative $150,000 for th1S
next year of expa~sion recognizing the Initiatlve's potential for
nat1ona1 replicatlon.
I waul d 1 ike to reques~ that the City of Santa r.lonica becor.:e
a partner in t~e Ca11fornla Child Care Initlat1ve through a grant of
$5.000 for the second year eX~JnS10n project of Connections for
Chil dren.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact
me at (415) 622-229~.
Si ncere 1y .
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Geraldine Caldarola
Prograr.1 Office"
GC/rah
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