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In pursuit of quality child care
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Anonymous user Thu Mar 16, 2006 13:08:17 PST
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If you are a parent living in Bakersfield and are in need of quality, licensed child care for children birth to 13 years of age, chances are two out of three that you will find something suitable in your area. However, one out of three parents will wind up traveling farther than they want to, or settling on less desirable arrangements, or paying more than they planned or can afford.

WHY CHILD CARE IS IMPORTANT?
Having quality, accessible and affordable child care helps keep Kern County working. As the number of dual-income families increases, there is an increase in child care demand. Rich, nurturing learning environments are good for children because they promote socialization and school readiness. Children that come to school ready to learn are more likely to be successful both in school and in life. 

High quality child care is not a social service –– it is fundamental to a livable community. It is as critical to the growth and vitality of a community as housing, employment and transportation. Parents who have access to quality child care are more productive and successful at work, and better equipped to balance work-life challenges.  

JUST THE FACTS
Bakersfield is not unique in experiencing high demand for child care and a short supply. This scenario is replete throughout California. County-wide, there is a current shortage of 15,000 quality, licensed child care spaces. With Kern’s explosive growth, we will be short an additional 4,000 spaces by 2010, and another 4,000 by 2015. This means that to reach a steady state of child care supply and demand, we need to be adding 2,300 new child care spaces annually for the next 10 years.

WHY CHILD CARE IS IN SHORT SUPPLY
Child care is big business in Kern County. A Local Investment in Child Care economic impact report found that child care generated $141 million in annual revenue in 2001 and was likened to the size of our almond crop that year. Over 17,000 direct and indirect jobs are related to child care in Kern County. Numerous independent child care businesses that operate Kern’s 29,000 child care spaces generate jobs, contribute to the tax base, and support the workforce. However, child care is not a lucrative business. To offer affordable rates to parents, profit margins hover around 5 percent. Being a licensed industry, there are many hurdles to opening a child care facility and attrition is high.

ADDRESSING THE NEED
The Local Investment in Child Care (LINCC) project at Community Connection for Child Care, a program of Kern County Superintendent of Schools, is building a local system that will make it easy to develop and finance child care centers. A study of child care supply and demand commissioned by LINCC  found that in the next 10 years, we need to build 153 new child care centers, develop 883 new family day care homes, and add 76 new license exempt programs like after-school. These start ups will cost $138 million or more in present dollars. LINCC is now systematically addressing barriers to child care facility development and pressing for consideration of the impact of our growth on child care needs. 


WHAT THIS MEANS TO SOUTHWEST VOICE READERS
In one way or another, child care touches most people at some point in their lives.  There are many ways residents, employers, non-profits and the faith-based community can ensure adequate supply of child care. Myself and Brooke Antonioni at LINCC have access to a plethora of resources to assist you in your endeavors.  Check out the Catalog of Resources for developing and financing a child care center at http://kcsos.kern.org/cccc/...

If you are an employer, consider offering on-site or near-site child care. Employer-supported child care is a great recruitment and retention tool.

If you are an entrepreneur, consider owning and operating your own child care business, either family based or center based.  

If you want to explore business opportunities in child care, plan on attending LINCC’s April 27th workshop on "20 Steps to Developing and Financing a Child Care Center." This is particularly beneficial to non-profits and the faith-based community that already has facilities that can easily be adapted for child development. Call 395-4126 to register.

If you are a parent needing a licensed child care referral either near your home, your place of employment or your child’s school, call Community Connection for Child Care at 861-5200. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dana Adams is a LINCC Child Care Intermediary and brokers deals to develop child care facilities in Kern County. For additional information on how LINCC can help you develop center based child care facilities, contact Dana at 636-4572 or e-mail: daadams@kern.org

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