"This morning I stood in the dark, 47 degree cold in front of the Burgess
After School Child Care Center wondering to myself why I was still living in
Menlo Park. I simply found it pathetic that a city so rich in resources and
intelligence has chosen to bury it's head in the sand with respect to the
complete debacle that is the child care situation in our town.

I was one of dozens of parents who woke up before dawn to line up in hopes
of securing one of the few spaces available for kindergarten after school
care. Two parents actually spent the night, arriving at 4 p.m. on Thursday
evening for the chance to submit their application at 7:30 am the next
morning. They were the smart ones. We who arrived after 5 am were out of
luck.

There were only 6 available spaces for the entire kindergarten group. There
were no spaces available for first graders. Next year I will have both a
kindergartner and a first grader. Although I am only second on the waiting
list was told not to get my hopes up as there were NO cancellations last
year.

Forecasting this possibility yet again (I tried last year too as a first
time Kindergarten mom but was laughed at when I attempted to register in
June), and quite sure that I had obviously missed something I had contacted
the Superintendents' office last week inquiring about alternative options.
I was told that I could always "hire a nanny" and that after school care was
really not a "public school issue". Rarely am I rendered speechless.

Why is Menlo Park so unwilling to problem solve? Do we want only wealthy
families in our community? Whether or not that is the intention - without
affordable options -- ultimately that will be the result of Menlo Park's
lack of involvement on the after school childcare issue. Are we that
elitist? Single parents and working parents will be forced to choose and
some will choose to leave because they simply have to work in order to
provide for their families.

Our neighboring communities have after school options, most of them onsite.
Is this really the best that Menlo Park can do?

Expand the existing service and/or get private companies to operate onsite
childcare using portables. Last year it was set up as either/or by the
council. Why can't it be both? There need not be committees or analysts to
asses the situation. The fix doesn't need to be complicated by the number
crunchers either. Price expanded enrollment to offset the upfront
investment. This is a simple equation. If enrollment declines, downsize.

As a small business owner and deeply concerned parent I implore this fresh
council to be nimble and responsive to the families that you serve. Behave
like a business and not a bureaucracy. We need solutions not excuses and we
need them by August."

Katherine Bailey
Received on Tue Feb 6 06:16:18 2007