The $3.4 million Menlo Children’s Center is open, but the question of who will be the long-term operator of the center’s child care programs remains unanswered.
City staff, parents and children gathered April 29 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the one-story 9,000-square-foot center, located in the renovated former police station at the Civic Center. A basement is used for storage and offices.
The city’s preschool and after-school programs held their first classes Monday at the center, which has room for 58 preschoolers and 102 school-age children, said Michael Taylor, the city’s acting community services director. Current enrollment is close to that.
Outside the one-story structure are three play areas. Inside, the center is furnished with 12 computers, six in a homework center for school-age children. The computers have Internet access and child-protection software; teachers will monitor computer use.
City subsidy
While parents pay up to $1,600 for toddler rates, the city subsidizes the two programs at a cost of $444,000 a year, says city staff.How to reduce that subsidy is a hot-button topic in town.
The City Council voted 4-1 April 19 to request proposals from private companies and nonprofits to operate the program, with the goal of reducing or eliminating the city’s costs. Union members and city employees say a private operator could cut the wages and benefits of the 20 city employees who work in the two programs.
The “request for proposals” process may take eight months. Meanwhile, the city will continue to run the programs. Parents may pay a lot more, though. City staff has proposed rate increases of as much as 22.5 percent for preschool and 8.5 percent for after-school.
The preschool monthly rates now range from $1,246 to $1,682 for children younger than 3 years old, and $980 to $1,323 for children 3 to 5.
The school-age program rates range from $255 to $617 a month depending on the grade level and whether children receive full- or part-time care.
The council plans to compare the city-run program with proposals from private operators. “This is a great opportunity to demonstrate how much of a quality program we have, and to see how we compete,” Mr. Taylor told the Almanac.
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