WORKING FOR EXPANDED CHILD CARE

February 23, 2000

Chicago Defender

Expand child care to full days with $41.2 million

Strausberg, Chinta

Expand child care to full days with $41.2 million

Because early childhood education is critical to the proper development of children, Mayor Richard M. Daley Tuesday unveiled a $41.2 million program involving public/private funds to build or renovate 24 child care centers and expand operational hours across the city.

Additionally, the program includes repairing 30 more centers while making physical and program enhancements to 200 child care homes. And, the plan is to make licensed full day, full year child care available to an additional 5,000 children who're under age 6 by the year 2002.

Of the 5,000 children, 2,000 would be enrolled in the Head Start program that will be converted from half-day to full-day. Daley said his plan is to improve the quality of child care and to strengthen the transition from early child care to kindergarten.

The mayor said next month, the Chicago Park District will begin a pilot program called "Tot Spot" in which children from nearby child care centers and homes will participate in park district play programs aimed for preschoolers at 10 locations.

However, Daley said the city alone cannot fully address quality child care problems without help from the Illinois General Assembly.

He urged state lawmakers to pass HB 4021 which would establish the Great Start program to attract and retain qualified child care staff by providing wage supplements based on their education and job seniority. Senate Bills 1622 and 1624 would provide health benefits for child care workers.

Daley said studies prove that children need stability and continuity in that care which calls for reduced turnover among early childhood teachers and caregivers. Higher wages, he said, is the way to achieve this.

Saying Chicago has become a national leader in the blending of state and federal child care dollars needed to allow more children from low-income working families to take advantage of this program, Daley reported: "We know that the very early years are critical to a child's long-term development."

Joining Daley at the press conference, held at Christopher House, 4701 N. Winthrop, were: Ald. Helen Shiller (46th), HUD Midwest Hub director Joyce A. Thomas, Douglas R. Wendt, field vice president for Allstate, Chicago Department of Human Services (CDHS) Comm. Ray Vazquez, Trinita Logue, president of the Illinois Facilities Fund, Elishama Carroll, citywide council chairperson for the year 2000, and many others.

"The cornerstone of that plan is the creation of the Children's Capital Fund composed of $41.2 million of public, private and foundation money to build and renovate child care centers and provide grants to improve homes where child care is provided," said Daley.

"Within two years, we hope to build or renovate 24 child care centers in the neighborhoods where they're most needed," he said. Daley said the construction program will be spearheaded by CDHS and managed by the IFF.

Logue explained that the IFF will be managing the children's capital investment fund she says is a large component of Daley's plan. "We'll be financing, constructing child care centers and renovating them and will be doing a number of things to increase license care overall."

Wendt said his company's $5 million, 15-year capital investment to the IFF will be a part of the mayor's $41.2 million plan. The IFF/Allstate Child Care and Education Loan Fund will provide low interest loans to help non-profit child care facilities buy property, build new child care centers and to improve existing facilities that would serve about 2,500 additional children.

Also president was City Council Chancellor Dr. Wayne Watson who said the city colleges "will play a pivotal role in training of child care providers. The lead college on this, the Harold Washington College, will provide the appropriate training for home care providers and child care development staff," he told the Chicago Defender.

According to Shiller, there are more than 900 children on the waiting list. She said for a child born today, it takes at least two years to sign up for this program.

Adrienne K. Edlen, director of the Human Services with the city colleges, said: "We have six city colleges campus that can provide child development courses and degrees for the staff of these programs. We provide mentoring and training."

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