Cuts coming to child care services provided by City of L.A.

Child-care services provided by the city of Los Angeles will be scaled back dramatically by this summer as the city rushes to patch a $212-million shortfall. The move is one of the harsh realities facing city officials as they move toward eliminating as many as 4,000 city jobs to deal with a budget deficit that could grow to $1 billion within the next few years.

About 900 children are enrolled in the city’s 26 licensed child-care centers. While those programs cost the city more than $7 million annually, the city collects just $2 million, in part because officials charge an average of $250 per month.

“We are subsidizing excessively our program and we can’t afford to do that,” City Councilman Greig Smith said during a budget debate at City Hall on Tuesday. “… I don’t think we have a system that we’ve really proven is very effective. Some things government does well, some they don’t.”

Council President Eric Garcetti noted that the city’s services cover a fraction of the families in Los Angeles. “We took a lucky 1% or 2% of people who need child care and said ‘You’ve just won the lottery,’” he said. “Well in bad times, maybe that’s not the best approach.”

Recreation and Parks officials plan to shift their licensed child-care centers to facilities that are open for 15 hours a week instead of 40. Instead of offering full-time preschool and day care, officials said many operations would instead offer after-school and sports programs, in some cases partnering with adjacent recreation centers that offer those kinds of programs. 

The change will allow the parks department to meet the target set by city budget officials for eliminating 125 jobs as part of the city’s first 1,000 job cuts. Because some of the child-care positions are part time, about 132 city workers will be affected, parks officials said.

The preschools at Jim Gilliam Recreation Complex and at the Expo Center will continue to operate because they are funded through grants. Garcetti and Smith said the city should look for organizations willing to operate the city’s 24 other child-care centers.

-- Maeve Reston at Los Angeles City Hall

twitter.com/LATimesReston

Photo: L.A. Times file of L.A.-area child care facility.

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Comments

[Rene3]

If you can't take care of your own kids, DO NOT HAVE ANY!!!

[Bruno]

Why is the city providing child care in the first place. Why is the city subsidizing poverty at each and every place you turn to look. This has to stop.

[JSA26]

$7 Million for 900 kids is almost $8,000 per year for baby sitting.

Typical

[lpt]

This is no brainer. Government should not be providing services that the private sector provides. Most child care companies run a profit and the city looses $5 million a year!!!

Need child care -- pay for it. Hire a family member or pay for day care services. If you can't afford it, don't have kids. It is really that simple. The taxpayer, can't and won't, pay for everything.

[Al]

Don't forget, we don't all plan to have kids. Sometimes, even with protection, unplanned pregnancies occur. Day care services are important, but a better pricing structure should be implemented.

[alfred]

I think it is horrible... I mean I think that there are other expenses that should be cut before anything to do with child care or education. TO PEOPLE who think DON'T have a child if you can't take care of them... don't talk because I am pretty sure that at one point or another you too have used a babysitter, a family member, or some other form of watching your kids indirectly. You got to remember that the people who use child care are people who probably work just as hard or harder than you do just to make ends meet.

[borderlander]

if you must enroll in a welfare program, the state requires both parents to look for work. by providing childcare, they eliminate the parent's excuse of, "i can't go to school, i can't go to the job center, and i can't go to work because i have no one to watch after my kids." this way they can find a job and get off of welfare.

[TAM]

The city council still is Not taking a pay cut, and their pay cut should be 20%. We can no longer afford the city council at their rate of pay. I hope it will be Nov. ballot just like terms limits were. The city council has been a rubber stamp ever since the Pint Size Mayor took office. If the parents want to continue with day care start paying $350.00 a month, and that is far less than my co-workers pay.

[Save Our Parks]

Well Garcetti ought to consider himself a "Luck One" As I recall, I have seen him picking up children at a City Child Care facility just recently. I guess it was the "Right Approach" when he needed the services. The reality is that they provide a great service. The provide a well rounded and professional child care program that is state licensed. Care to elaborate on our experience Council President?

[Childfree]

Glad I'm never having children.

[cRIS tub]

the government should just raise the child tax credit. if you do your taxes then you get the credit at tax time. i have 1 child i had to pay over 6000 for child care. my son is now 8 years old. i have thought of having a second child but daycare is so expensive that i just cannt afford that at the moment so im putting a second child on hold for the time being. its just a waist of money to give child care to parents that dont work and dont go to school, but they dont want to take care of their kids and go off and hang out with gangs all day...that is a joke...that is what is happening...i am a frustrated tax payer....STOP this kind of handout...

[Peace and Love]

Just charge $670 / mo. That's still a bargain. The community receives child care and the City breaks even. These Centers can also be leased to private companies. Either way, the City shouldn't just leave parents and kids out in cold. Can a few tax paying citizen's out there who were in City child care testify with gratitude? If people are worried about enabling cheats, move them from this program and into a job training one.

Don't forget that this is how a civilized society works. You don't leave poor out in the lurch.

Matthew 25:40. And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

To all the capitalists. Some of these kids will pay that tax money back and help many others in return.

Peace and Love.