Providing support for suporters

Informal local group meets to tackle child-care issues

By Daniel Hindin

The Sunnyvale community has long been concerned with the acknowledged shortage of child-care. Hence, it should come as no surprise that city residents are actively addressing these concerns in grassroots fashion.

A group of 20 Sunnyvale residents who call themselves the Sunnyvale Family Child Care Network (SFCCN) have been in operation since 1992. The Network meets once a month to discuss child-care issues, training and education, as well as exchange ideas and provide support for people who provide day care for small numbers of children in their own homes.

"We address the different things that can happen to child-care providers--how we can deal with things like licensing problems. We provide speakers that talk about issues that affect us like child safety and stress management," says longtime SFCCN member Linda Diaz.

"I used to not have anyone to ask questions of or talk to about child-care issues," says SFCCN President Bobbie Martin. "I started attending the meetings just to get out and talk to people in the same business. A major purpose of the group is to just get ideas. We send people to seminars about different programs, and they come back and tell the whole group."

According to Martin, SFCCN used to have a very healthy working relationship with the City of Sunnyvale through the Child Care Advisory Board. Some members of the group actually helped start the board.

"The board was wonderful," Martin says. "Any questions we had, they were right on it. But the head of the board had to leave, and they haven't hired anyone else to a permanent position. The city really needs someone to take charge of what's going on. They say they want day cares to be more active, yet they don't help us out."

"If the city doesn't help you, you have to turn to the county or state, but they don't do much," SFCCN Secretary IrisAnn Nelson says. "They don't receive much funding to be able to help. That's why we try to do what we can with our resources."

City Manager Robert LaSala approved the city's Youth Services Study report, which was released on June 20, the city acknowledges a lack of quality, affordable day care in Sunnyvale. However, they claim it is not their responsibility to address this issue. The report states, and City officials maintain, that the childcare issue is something that needs to be handled at a state level.

But Diaz remains unsatisfied.

"Over the years I've heard about so many studies in Sunnyvale," she says. "It's just study, study, study, and then it ends. Studying time is over. It's time for them to put their money where their mouth is."

Nelson suggests since the city, the county, and the state aren't doing much about the problem, other outlets for support should be explored.

"If more companies felt that it was an issue to provide day care on sight, we would be taking a step in the right direction," she explains. "Companies have to realize that it is a benefit to provide childcare. They say that it isn't their responsibility. Well, it isn't, but they give employees 401Ks and medical plans. Is childcare any less of a necessity?"

The SFCCN isn't waiting for the city to devise a solution. Regardless of any support they may receive, they still meet regularly to try to help each other.

A central problem the SFCCN faces is getting their existence widely known within the Sunnyvale community. They used to meet at the Sunnyvale Public Library, a visible community location, but the City tried to force them to accept a set of bylaws under which they would serve the City through an official capacity. The SFCCN balked, opting to keep the meeting informal. As a result, the group was kicked out of the library three years ago, and relocating to a local Carl's Jr.

However, the members don't regret the decision to stay informal.

"[The city was] trying to get us to have official votes on everything," says Martin. "We didn't want to be that formal. We keep our meetings casual because we want to feel comfortable and be able to just talk about things."

---

The SFCCN meets in the Carl's Jr. on the corner of Lawrence Expressway and Oakmead Parkway. They invite fellow family day care providers to come to share ideass. Meetings are held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month except December. For further information call Bobbie Martin at 746.0336 or IrisAnn Nelson at 733.4828.

---

Public Safety

Election endorsement: Yes on Measure A

Photo: The Sunnyvale Community Players present 'The Secret Garden'

Sports Briefs

High school sports

Photo: DeAnza College football