HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12182001 - C.127 dA? 0►
FHS #34
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra
FROM: Family and Human Services Committee Costa
DATE: December 18, 2001 y•, ,ca
County
coup
SUBJECT. Employee Child Care Centers and
Lactation Rooms
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION(S):
1. ACCEPT the attached report to the Family and Human Services Committee entitled "Status
Report on Employee Child Care Centers and Lactation Rooms".
2. DIRECT staff to initiate space planning for a child care center at 4545 Delta Fair, Antioch.
3. DESIGNATE the County owned facility at 920 Mellus Street (Sheriff Civil Unit) and the
adjacent lot at 1114 Court Street, as the future site of an employee child care center, once the
Civil Division relocates to a new consolidated Sheriff's facility.
4. DESIGNATE space on the ground floor of 1111 Ward Street for a lactation room once
construction on the Family Law Center is completed.
BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION(S):
In May 1998 the Board of Supervisors requested that the County Administrator's Office explore the
establishment of additional childcare facilities for County employees and formed the Employee
Child Care Task Force. The Employee Child Care Task Force has met on numerous occasions since
1998 and has reported to the Family and Human Services Committee in 1999 and 2000. At the
latest meeting of the Task Force, it was proposed that staff pursue a site for a center of 20 to 30
children. The new center would need to be cooperatively managed by County employees or
contracted out to a provider willing to manage smaller scale facilities. In addition, the Task Force
has split into two groups, one that is concentrating on East County and another group of Central
County employees.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIG ATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
r�
SIGNATURE(S): MARK DESAULNIER F DERAL D. GLOVER
------------------------------------ - -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACTION OF BOARD ON� G& • /�, oZ&!-491 APPROVE AS RECOMMENDED�_ OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE
AYES: NOES: SHOWN.
ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
ATTESTED &667*A67'
CONTACT: Dorothy Sansoe,CAO JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE
335-1009 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
CC: William Walker,M.D.,HSD
Pat Godley,HSD
Milt Camhi,HSD
BY DEPUTY
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EM,O.RAN�DUM
DATE: December 10, 2001
TO: Family and Human Services Committee
Supervisor Federal Glover
Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier
FROM: County Administrator '9
SUBJECT: STATUS REPORT ON EMPLOYEE CHILD CARE CENTERS AND
LACTATION ROOMS
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. DIRECT Staff to initiate space planning for a Child Care Center at 4545 Delta Fair,Antioch.
2. DESIGNATE the County owned facility at 920 Mellus Street (Sheriff Civil Unit) and the
adjacent lot at 1114 Court Street as the future site of an employee child care center, once the
Civil Division relocates to a new consolidated Sheriff's facility.
3. DESIGNATE space in the ground floor of 1111 Ward Street for a lactation room once
construction on the Family Law Center is completed.
BACKGROUND:
In May 1998 the Board of Supervisors requested that the County Administrator's Office explore the
establishment of additional child care facilities for County employees and formed the Employee
Child Care Task Force. The Employee Child Care Task Force has met on numerous occasions
since 1998 and has reported to the Family and Human Services Committee in 1999 and 2000.
In 1999, the Task Force hired a consulting firm, International Child Research Institute (ICRI), to
determine the need for employee child care and the financial feasibility of an additional child care
center. ICRI's study concluded that:
• the demand/need for employee child care is highest in central county,
Status Report on Employee Child Care Center and Lactation Rooms
December 10,2001
Page 2
• Central County employees could support 100 child care slots, and
• in order for parent fees to stay at or below market levels,the operating budget of a
new child care center can absorb only a minimal facility cost.
Based on the ICRI study, staff searched for a site in Central County throughout 1999 and 2000 to
accommodate a medium sized (70 to 100 slot) child care center. A number of privately owned
parcels were considered,however the cost of acquiring land was prohibitive. Staff also approached
the City of Martinez and the Martinez Unified School District in an attempt to locate a site or
develop a joint child care center.
The difficulty in locating a site for a larger child care center,coupled with the input from the Kids
at Work Board, prompted a re-evaluation of the direction taken by the Task Force. At the latest
meeting of the Employee Child Care Task Force, it was proposed that staff pursue a site for a
smaller center of 20 to 30 children. Under this approach, the new center would need to be
cooperatively managed by County employees or contracted out to a provider willing to manage
smaller scale facilities at multiple sites.
In addition,the Task force has split into two groups: one that is concentrating on East County,and
another group of Central County employees.
CURRENTSTATUS
In East County,a group of employees has formed to advocate for and plan an Employee Child Care
Center at 4545 Delta Fair. When construction is complete on the new Employment and Human
Services Building at 4549 Delta Fair, space will be set aside at 4545 Delta Fair for a Child Care
Center. Construction on this Child Care Center will happen as the rest of the building is remodeled
in 2002. It is projected that an East County Child Care Center will open in early 2003.
In Central County,staff has identified two County owned properties close to downtown Martinez
with potential for development as an Employee Child Care Center. The two adjacent properties,
920 Mellus Street and 1114 Court Street, are located on the corner of Mellus and Court streets
behind the Martinez Detention Facility (see attached map). The Court street property is an
abandoned house that is a nuisance and should be demolished. 920 Mellus is occupied by the
Sheriff's Civil Division. This office is scheduled to relocate to a new consolidated Sheriffs facility
on Glacier Drive. When Sheriff Civil moves, the two lots could be joined resulting in adequate
space for a small to medium sized day care facility.
Status Report on Employee Child Care Center and Lactation Rooms
December 10,2001
Page 3
One advantage of locating a future Employee Day Care Center at this site is that the County already
owns both sites, so there are no land acquisition costs(however there are opportunity costs of not
selling the properties or using them for some other County purpose). Secondly,the location is ideal
for a child care center. The site is near to downtown Martinez and the CCRMC campus but it is
located on a quiet residential street.
A very preliminary estimate of the development cost of this site is between$200,000 and$400,000.
As far as project schedule, the critical path is the relocation of Sheriff Civil to a consolidated
Sheriff's facility. This consolidated facility is still in the planning stages,but could be completed
within the next three to four years.
Plans for a Central County Lactation Room
Research has shown that breast milk is the best food for babies. Breast milk is nutritionally
superior to formula and breastfed babies have fewer illnesses and allergies. A study of two
corporate lactation programs in 1994 found that breastfed babies experienced significantly fewer
illnesses during the study period. As a consequence, expenses for health care and employee
absenteeism were lower for families with breastfed babies.
Returning to work is one of the main reasons that women stop breastfeeding, but lactation
programs at work have been proven to reverse that trend. In addition,the Governor recently signed
legislation(AB 1025,attached)requiring employers to make reasonable efforts to provide a space
for lactation other than a toilet stall. The law also requires employers to provide a reasonable
amount of break time to employees that wish to express milk.
Thanks to staff at the Department of Employment and Human Services,the County is ahead of the
game. In 2000,EHS staff partitioned off a corner of the staff room at 4545 Delta Fair for lactating
mothers. The lactation room has been used by 15 mothers over the past year and is currently used
by four to five nursing moms. A rocking chair, hospital breast pump, refrigerator and magazine
subscriptions were donated by private companies. Employees also raised funds for the project by
holding a bake sale. The Coordinator of the lactation room reports that almost all of the nursing
moms believe that they would have stopped breast pumping sooner if the lactation room were not
available.
In Central County, staff has identified space formerly occupied by the Public Health Lab at 1111
Ward Street that could be renovated as a lactation room. This space is now in use by the
contractor for the Family Law Center, but when construction is completed in early 2003, it is
recommended that the space be renovated into a lactation room.
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11 1 11 11 .11
DEC-03-2001 16:20 CCC FMCH PRORAMS
925 313 6708 P.09i11
Assembly Bill No. 1025
CHAPTER 821
An act to add Chapter 3.8(commencing with Section 1030)to Part 3
of Division 2 of the Labor Code,relating to employment.
(Approved by Governor Octobor 12,2001.Filcd
with Secmtary of State October 13,2001.)
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1025,Frommer. Lactation accommodation_
Existing law imposes various requirements upon employers
concerning safety,working conditions, and other matters regarding the
workplace,but no requirement upon private employers to accommodate
employees desiring to express breast milk_
This bill would require employers to provide a reasonable amount of
break time to employees desiring to express milk_The break time would
be required to run concurrently, if possible,with any break time already
provided. The bill would providc further that in the event it is not
possible for the break time for expressing milk to run concurrently with
the break time that is already provided to the employee,the break time
for expressing milk shall be unpaid. Employers would also be required
to provide the use of a room, or other location, other than a toilet stall,
in close proximity to the employees' work arca. The bill would permit
the room or other location provided by employers to employees for the
purpose of expressing milk to include the place where the employee
normally works as long; as that location meets the bill's other
requirements_
This bill would exempt an employer from its requirements if the
employer's operations would be seriously disrupted by providing break
time to employees desiring to express milk. The bill would subject
employers who violate these provisions to specified civil penalties and
would authorize the Labor Commissioner to issue citations for such
violations. The bill further provides procedures for issuing,contesting,
and enforcing judgments for citations or civil penalties issued by the
Labor Commissioner for violations of the bill's provisions and would
impose a state-mandated local program by requiring, through
incorporation of an existing provision,clerks of superior courts to issue
judgments upon receipt of a prescribed filing by the Labor
Commissioner.
Existing law provides that certain violations of the Labor Code are
misdemeanors.
94
I
DEC-03-2001 16:20 CCC FMCH PRORAMS
925 313 6708 P.10i11
0
Ch. 821 -2
This bill would provide that, notwithstanding any provision of the
Labor Code, violation of the bill's provisions shall not be a
misdemeanor_
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state.
Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement,including the creation of a State Mandates Claims Fund
to pay the costs of mandates that do not exceed$1,000,000 statewide and
other procedures for claims whose statewide costs exceed$1,000,000.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement shall be made from the
State Mandates Claims Fund for costs mandated by the state pursuant to
this act,but would recognize that local agencies and school districts may
pursue any available remedies to seek reimbursement for these costs.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 3.8(commencing with Section 1030)is added
to Part 3 of Division 2 of the Labor Code,to read:
CHAPTER 3.8. LACTATION ACCONI(IODArION
1030. Every employer, including the state and any political
subdivision, shall provide a reasonable amount of break time to
accommodate an employee desiring to express breast milk for the
employee's infant child. The break time shall, if possible, run
concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee.
Break time for an employee that does not run concurrently with the rest
time authorized for the employee by the applicable wage order of the
IndustrialWelfare Commission shall be unpaid.
1031. The employer shall make reasonable efforts tb provide the
employee with the use of a room or other location, other than a toilet
stall,in close proximity to the employee's work area,for the employee
to express milk in private. The room or location may include the place
where the employee normally works if it otherwise meets the
requirements of this section.
1032. An employer is not required to provide break time under this
chapter if to do so would seriously disrupt the operations of the
employer.
1033. (a) An employer who violates any provision of this chapter
shall be subject to a civil penalty in the amount of one hundred dollars
($100)for each violation.
(b) If, upon inspection or investigation, the Labor Commissioner
determines that a violation of this chapter has occurred, the Labor
94
DEC-03-2001 16:20 CCC FMCH PRORAMS 925 313 6708 P. 11i11
3— Ch. 821
Commissioner may issue a citation_ The procedures for issuing,
contesting, and enforcing judgments fox citations or civil penalties
issued by the Labor Commissioner for violations of this chapter shall be
the same as those set forth in Section 1197.1.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, violations of
this chapter shall not be misdemeanors under this code.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement shall be made from the State Mandates
Claims Fund pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of
Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code for costa mandated by the
state pursuant to this act. It is recognized,however,that a local agency
or school district may pursue any remedies to obtain reimbursement
available to it under Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500)and any
other provisions of law.
O
94
TOTAL P. 11