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Speak Out
City does its part for childcare problems
The issue of child care is both a serious and complex one, as there are multiple factors that have brought the need for quality and affordable child care to a crisis point, not just here in Santa Clara County, but throughout the state. Daniel Hindin's article ["Baby Blues," Aug. 9, 2000] clearly missed the bigger issue of child care and that is the struggle of how to address the problem as a community.
Local government alone cannot solve the shortage of affordable quality child care that is inaccessible to everyone in need. Nor should it, as municipal government does not have the responsibility of providing such care. It can, however, look for opportunities to influence and welcome quality child-care businesses, and examine ways in which affordable child care might be made available to those in need.
The city of Sunnyvale has a child-care program that has examined these areas over the past 10 years. The Child-Care Advisory Board, comprised of 12 members, have acted as technical advisors to the city council, members are child-care providers in home and center settings, a representative from state licensing, business community, parents and schools. For the past three years, the mayor has awarded local child-care businesses and providers for their innovative and creative practices in addressing the issues of quality and affordable childcare, which I might add, has rarely received coverage in The Sun. Not every city in the state of California has a child-care program. In fact, only about 45 do. Sunnyvale made the commitment to examine what they could do many years ago and continues to make that commitment today.
The Youth Services Study highlighted the need for child care in our community. The study also confirmed that the city's current efforts in child care were on the right track in addressing these needs. Our hope is, while we do what we can within our purview, we will find other partners with ideas, as well as a commitment to work together in finding solutions to this complex issue.
Sophie Horiuchi-Forrester
Program Manager, Sunnyvale City Manager's Office
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
