RES 01065 - Laserfiche WebLink

Gltikkas'e. ~~ Informa~on P~easanton is a growing community. The need for quality; safe, affordable child care continues to be an impor- tam concern for paints and guardians in the d~6f~i~n. Our city's high cost of living requires a high ratio of single and married parents to work outside of the home. Many of these parents encounter long com- mutes towork, that lenghans the time they need child care for their children. Elementary school enrollments in kindea~arten through fifth grade have risen from 4,254 student in 1991 to 5,814 students in 1999. Although this is an increase of 1,560 elementary students in 9 years, it represents only the children enrolled in the public school ss/stero. Child care fadlities have not been able to g~ow in proportion to the increasing need for care due to a lack~f physical space for expansion and/or construction, the lack of qualified staff and the lack of funding The City of Pleasanton assembled a School-Age C~re Task Force in 1997 to study child care issues for elementary. students in Pleasanton. Following their review, a professional School-Age Care Survey was completed in May of 1998. GoreF Canapav/and Galanis surveyed 404 residents representing 457 children in grades I(-5. Of those srm, eyed, 25% of school-age children in K through 5~ grade were in organized or licensed child care programs wifl~ an additional 3% still on waiting lists. Thirty -three percent of the children in this type of child care are taking part in on-school-site child care programs. Drop-in and/or short term care was the highest unmet need ' ' ' Surveyed parents indicated a preference for child care on or near their child's school. Safety and security were the highest ranked values among parents for defining quality child care programs. Of spedal note, even though pa~cipants were only asked about elementary school age child care needs, they voiced s~ong unsolidted concern about the need for middle school student child care also. Child Care Links annually assesses child care needs in the Tri-Valley. The 1999 Annual Report contains the followin~ statistics. Thirty percent of Pleasanton families seeking child care for children 0- I0 were unable to find it in 1999. Reasons cited why care was not found include: Facility not acceptable 22%; no vacancies 26%; too expensive 11%; still interviewing 20%. Actual calls to Child Care Links were as follows: 0-2 years, 821 calls; pre-school 2-6 years, 577 calls; and school age 6-12 years, 473 calls for a total of 1,871 calls. This annual report has shown a need of 900-1,000 more spaces for children 5-10 years of age for the last two years. Pleasanton families with financial needs include 120 children currently enrolled, various child care subsidy programs, 55 families on waiting lists for subsidized child care and 452 currendy receiving free or reduced lunch at our schools. Last year the Community Input Subcommittee of the Youth Master Plan of Pleasanton Steering Committee distributed a Community Sur,,ey to 39 different community groups and/or organizations. Newborn through middle school quality child care was listed as a significant need. Of the 899 surveys collected, the four most important factors in choosing a sendce were stated as quality/safety, 582 replies; cost, 546 replies; staffqualifica- tions, 486 replies; and days/time of operation, 481 replies. Those surveyed stated community services and programs were needed before and after school, during school vacations and on weekends/evenings. They identified school campuses, a community center and churches/temples as places where services and programs should be available. Child Cate Links and other related agencies in the Tfi-Valley (Pleasanton Unified School District school age childcare program, Kids Club, too) cite an ever-incseasing shortage of quality child care. One cause of the shortage is the lack of qualified teachers. Kids Club is the highest-paying child care program for school-age child