Ryan
and Leeanna Maguire juggle their classes with work and quality
time with daughter Bailey (whom they often bring to school) so
they can get the education needed to compete in today's job market.
Throughout the campus there’s plenty of evidence that
childcare is an important — and often troublesome —
issue. People are bringing their children to school and to the
library, juggling classes between work, home, and school, and
involving extended family members (if they are available) in
an effort to provide daily care for their children.
Take, for example, Bailey Maguire, a bright, healthy, 10-month-old
girl whose parents, LPC students Leeanna and Ryan Maguire, are
determined to make a better future for themselves for her sake.
Leeanna has changed her major from Bio-Psychology to Liberal
Arts, so that she can teach and spend quality time with Bailey
as she grows up. She intends to do this for five years and then
return to her major so that, by the time Bailey graduates from
high school, Leeanna will have her Ph.D. in Bio-Psychology.
Juggling priorities
“A childcare center would help both Ryan and myself,
said Leeanna. “Right now, only one of us can take a class;
the other must stay at home to take care of Bailey.”
Ryan, a Theatre Arts student at LPC, is currently juggling
his time between work, school, and taking care of Bailey. He
intends to be a playwright, director and actor.
“My relationship with Bailey is more emotional than logical,”
said Ryan. “I have changed my entire outlook on life. I
went from being 19 years old and partying to being 20 years old
with the responsibilities of a child. My priorities needed to
change.”
The Maguires agree that an on-site childcare center would
give them more opportunities.
“We would have less downtime if we knew that Bailey was
being properly cared for. We could take more of the classes we
want and need to take, because our availability wouldn’t
be so limited.”
Students who are single parents have an even more difficult
time.
“I’m returning to school because I need to get a
good job in order to support myself and my daughter,” said
Julie Sullivan, a returning student and single mother of 14-month-old
Hanya. “I wonder why LPC doesn’t have a childcare center…[it]
would affect a lot of students in the community. I am sure that
the students wouldn’t mind paying, because babysitters are
expensive.”
Who benefits?
According to Jackie Fitzgerald, head of LPC’s child development
program, a childcare center at LPC would meet the needs of:
• children of LPC students or faculty
• LPC students with children
• LPC faculty with children
• psychology classes
• sociology classes
“A childcare center here would be of value both to faculty
and to students,” says Aileen Furuyama, LPC Reference Librarian.
“It would serve as a lab for ECD classes and would be directly
under the observation and control of an ECD instructor. Techniques
taught in the ECD classes could be directly applied in the lab
to see if or how they work, then brought back to lecture class
for discussion and/or modification.
Money is the main obstacle
The state sets the priorities for funding projects.
Fitzgerald hopes that there will be some “out-of-the-box”
thinking regarding funding for a childcare center. “Las
Positas offers both a certification and an AA degree in early
childhood development. Most schools which provide a certification
or AA degree do have a child development lab on site.”
Dr. Susan Cota, President of LPC, and Dr. Barbara Mertes,
Vice Chancellor for Institutional Planning and Facilities, announced
their intention to file an initial project proposal (IPP) for
a childcare center with State Chancellor Tom Nussbaum’s
office in Sacramento sometime in the future. However, at the
present time, neither a plan nor a proposal has been filed.
“We recognize the need [for a childcare center],”
said Ed Maduli, Vice President of Business Services at LPC, “but
we cannot fund all needs. LPC currently has five proposals before
the chancellor’s office: a gymnasium (plans submitted ten
years ago), a technology classroom building, a remodeling of
Bldg. 800 to include a performing arts theater and classrooms,
Phase 2 of the Science Center, and a childcare center. What you
need to understand is that there are 106 community colleges vying
for funds.”
There is a proposal on the March ballot to make a simple majority
vote enough for approval for bonds for school funding (as opposed
to the two-thirds majority vote currently needed).
“It is very difficult to get funding under the current
two-thirds majority needed,” said Maduli. “It would
be much easier for us to get funds under the ‘simple majority’
approval being proposed.”
Unfortunately, if current funding procedures are followed,
it will be years before a childcare center can be built. Unless
other options for funding come into play, Bailey Maguire and
Hanya Sullivan could be old enough to be students here themselves
before a childcare center is available.