COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Employee and Public Services Department

DATE:

September 12, 2001

BOARD MEETING DATE:

September 25, 2001

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Mary Welch, EPS Director
Paul Hackleman, Benefits Manager

SUBJECT:

Approval of "Our Place" Child Care Center Budget

Recommendation
Adopt a resolution:

1. Approving the Marin Day Schools 2001-2002 budget for the County's Child Care Center "Our Place" and

2. Designating employees of non-profit organizations as a "second tier priority" for childcare slots at the County's Child Care Center.

Background
Marin Day Schools (MDS) was selected in a competitive process in 1993 to operate the County's Child Care Center "Our Place". Three-year renewal contracts with MDS were approved by the Board in August, 1996 and again in 1999. The contracts specify that the Board will approve the annual MDS budget for the Center.

The Center provides care to 89 children in an educational program that is approved by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). "Our Place" recently was granted a three-year re-accreditation by NAEYC. Only 7% of early childhood programs in the nation receive such accreditation.

Of the 89 children in the Center, 60 were children of County employees in the 2000-2001 school year. By the end of the 2000-2001 school year, 11 children of County employees graduated, 4 children moved out of the area with their parents, and 4 others left the Center because their parents made other decisions about childcare, reducing the number to 41. Phone calls were made to the thirty-nine County parents on the waiting list and 6 children of County employees were placed in the Center, bringing the total to 47. No others on the County employee waiting list added children because parent needs did not match up with available slots (e.g. most of the vacancies were for infants). The remaining slots are filled with non-County children, 17 of whom are from non-profits or related government agencies and 25 private industry.

Discussion
Attachment 1 is the estimated budget for 2001-2002. The actual expenses for 2000-2001 were $970,000. The 2001-2002 estimated budget is $996,000 (representing a 2.7% overall increase).

During the past year, the County utilized "Green Building" funds in the amount of $54,482 to replace existing playground equipment with recycled equipment that is both safer and longer-lasting.

Attachment 2 is a comparison of the 1999, 2000 and 2001 scholarship activity. As the attachment indicates, all applications for scholarships have been approved during the three year period. Scholarships are actively solicited both in writing and in other parent materials that are available at the Center.

The total amount of funds provided to MDS, from which scholarship funds are drawn, is $100,000. Unused scholarship funds are applied to the operational budget to reduce overall tuition costs. Special circumstances are applied to applicants who do not meet the income limits but have high expenses, like mortgage payments, that place a financial burden on the family. Increases in scholarship amounts, however, would require reductions in expenses or further increases in tuition.

The second part of the resolution recommends a second-tier list of non-profit organization employees who would be eligible ahead of individuals from the general community.

EPS is also currently working with the County Manager's Office and Human Services Agency on exploring additional child care slots and scholarship opportunities and will keep the Board apprized of our progress in these areas.

Fiscal Impact
The attached 2001-2002 budget represents a 2.7% increase over the 2000-2001 budget. Because the increase is paid through tuition there is no additional increase beyond the County's current $100,000 subsidy.