Child centers being revamped

February 23, 2000

Chicago Sun Times

Spielman, Fran

Chicago will build or renovate 24 child care centers over the next two years to provide sorely needed space for 5,000 children under a $41.2 million program unveiled by Mayor Daley Tuesday.

Loans and grants to finance the new and improved centers - and repairs or program upgrades to 230 others - will be doled out by a new Children's Capital Fund, managed by a real-estate development arm of the Chicago Community Trust.

Allstate Insurance will contribute $5 million. The city will provide $11.6 million. Together with federal funds, the government money is expected to leverage $13.5 million in private capital.

Of the 68,000 children under 5 whose families qualify for state- subsidized child care, only about 18 percent, or 12,300, are currently being served in licensed child care centers and homes, according to a new study conducted for the city by the Illinois Facilities Fund.

The new centers are likely to be built in 20 neighborhoods identified in the study as needing child care help to move parents from welfare to work. They include Englewood, West Englewood, Logan Square, Pilsen and Little Village - neighborhoods left untouched by the expansion of child care that has occurred over the last 10 years.

"The expansion has been in more traditional lower-income communities, for example, near public housing developments," said Trinita Logue, president of the Illinois Facilities Fund.

"Because of demographic changes, we do not have licensed child care . . . where the greatest number of low-income families live. It needs to be in communities where we have growing immigrant and low- income populations." Daley unveiled his latest child care initiative at the Christopher House, 4701 N. Winthrop, where 900 children remain on waiting lists.

"A child born today will wait two years to get in," said Ald. Helen Shiller (46th).

Three years ago, Shiller introduced an ordinance that paved the way for day care centers to operate around the clock to help parents who work the night shift. Since then, only 200 openings have been created for nighttime care at nine centers.

That remains a glaring need, along with higher pay for child care workers, who now earn $6 an hour, the alderman said. A bill that would raise the pay and medical benefits of child care workers has been kicking around the General Assembly for years.

"If we build more facilities, we have to be able to hire more people," Shiller said. "If there's not more money, either we won't be able to hire them at all or we'll never be able to maintain any kind of stability. They're going to go on to other things no matter what kind of commitment they have to children because they have their own children to feed."

Mayor Daley, with Briseyda Orforio and Christopher House teacher assistant Rehana Ashraf, announced a plan to finance new child care centers and repair or upgrade 230 others.; Credit: JEAN LACHAT

Copyright Chicago Sun Times Feb 23, 2000