Date: June 29, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Julie Rusk, Human Services Division Manager
458-8701
Julie Taren, Child Care Coordinator
458-8701

The Santa Monica City Council has approved nearly $2 million to support early childhood education and child care programs for Santa Monica families in the fiscal year starting July 1. Recognized for its commitment to children and families, the City of Santa Monica is making this significant infusion of funds to allow more families to participate in high quality early childhood and school age child care programs.

In adopting the City budget meeting on June 20, 2000, the City Council provided:

• $541,000 to Connections for Children for child care subsidies and a family support program. This grant to Connections for Children, now totaling $432,500 in child care subsidies, responds to the more than 300 Santa Monica infants, toddlers and preschoolers currently on a waiting list for early childhood education and care programs. More than 100 families on the waiting list for child care will benefit. Additionally $108,500 to Connections will support the improved training of those providers working with families on subsidy, parenting workshops, individualized counseling and referrals. With $250,000 in discretionary funds, the City Council voted for children and families by allocating $195,000 to additional child care subsidies and $55,000 to the Children's Place, which serves low income families, to complete their playground renovations.

• $240,000.00 to The Growing Place to operate Marine Park Child Development Center, which Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) has decided no longer to operate. This allocation includes $45,000 to assist low and moderate income Santa Monica families to attend this "City sponsored" early childhood program located in the Sunset Park neighborhood. Marine Park Child Development Center provides 53 infant, toddler, and preschool to City of Santa Monica employees and residents. The City allocated $40,000.00 to SMMUSD to operate the center through August 31, 2000.

• $272,000 in capital improvement funds for Marine Park Child Development Center. The Growing Place will administer these funds to upgrade the facility and playgrounds..

• $36,056 (a $6,056 increase over last year) to the Santa Monica College (SMC) Pico Partnership-On the Move program. This will help fund one additional child care space for a city college bound teen mom from the Santa Monica High School SAPID (School Age Parent Infant Development) program.

Through its funding choices, the City Council demonstrated understanding that providing children with high quality early childhood experiences and other support gives them a foundation for future learning experiences. Among the Council grants that support quality early childhood programs:

• $25,000 to improve playground safety through identification of renovations needed at approximately 20 centers to comply with Playgrounds 2000 safety regulations. Again, The Children’s Place received $55,000 to complete the renovations of their playground.

• $140,700 to Connections for Children to improve the quality of child care services and the specialized needs of providers. Of the $140,700.00, $104,00.00 is targeted to provide operating support, start-up and technical assistance to licensed child care centers and family child care home homes. Additional support of $10,000 from the current year to improve teacher salaries at one local infant center.

• $200,000 to The Santa Monica -Malibu Unified School District to place two relocatable classrooms at Pine Street Child Development Center to accommodate 44 children from low-income Santa Monica families for full day child care This is in addition to more than $7 million in city support for SMMUSD in 2000-2001.

• $10,000 to the Growing Place Mentoring Program to train Santa Monica youth from Santa Monica High School as early childhood assistants in job and life skills.

• More than $1.2 million to ensure that school age children will continue to receive quality before-and after school care through the City and School District CREST (Child Care, Recreation, Enrichment, Sports Together) collaboration. The City funds support over 1,000 children in before-and after school programs including after school sports and no fee after school “playground” access on every elementary campus in Santa Monica.

“All levels of government must make an investment in child care to ensure a lifetime of success for our children” says Judith Brunk, Chair of the Santa Monica Child Care Task Force. “These efforts in Santa Monica need to be applauded, because they do make a difference.”

The Council also continues to encourage employer-supported child care by participating in the Dependent Care Assistance Program and providing its employees with more than $50,000 in employee child care assistance. Additionally, the City has several outstanding development agreements resulting in quality child care centers at St. John's Hospital, Water Gardens and MGM Plaza. Santa Monica has worked extensively with the Santa Monica Child Care Task Force and the Life Long Learning Partnership to craft many of these initiatives.

For further information about early childhood and school-age care programs in Santa Monica, contact the Human Services Division at City Hall, (310)458-8701.