FOUNTAIN VALLEY : FHP Opens Own Child Care Center

Maria Umaguing has found a day-care center where she knows her 3-year-old son, Jordan, will be in good hands.

Umaguing didn’t have to search very far.

Her company, FHP International Corp., has opened the first corporate-sponsored child care center in Orange County for its employees and their children.

“It’s a secure feeling. I know the facility is a safe facility,” said Umaguing, who designs the company’s health-care facilities and also had a hand in developing the floor plans for the center.

FHP employees, their children, company representatives and city officials attended the center’s grand opening festivities Wednesday. To commemorate the opening of the center, children dipped their hands in paints of primary colors then made their imprints onto a canvas that will be hung in the center.

Bruce Bodaken, FHP senior vice president and associate chief operating officer, said the health-care company invested about $500,000 to open the center, behind City Hall. FHP is also subsidizing the child care in order to offer reasonably priced care. The cost is $120 a week for children 6 weeks old to 2 years old, $100 a week for children 2 years old and $98 a week for children 3, 4 and 5.

Bodaken said the center will be operated by Pasadena-based Burud & Associates, which specializes in corporate child care centers.

Because finding quality child care is a concern among working parents, FHP officials said the Fountain Valley-based company recognized the need and wanted to offer the alternative to employees.

FHP employees agreed that the company-operated center eases the stress of dealing with child care arrangements and offers them a convenience since it’s close to their workplace.

Employee Ria Marie Carlson plans to place her 2-year-old daughter, Alexandra, at the center, which she said will give her “peace of mind.”

“The fact that I know my child is getting good, quality care close by is a tremendous load off me,” said Carlson, whose husband has stayed home to care for their daughter to save on child-care costs. “From a personal level, now I can focus more on my job when I don’t have to worry about my child.”

The child care center is in a city-owned building which the company is leasing. City employees can also use the center on a space-available basis.

FHP renovated the building to accommodate 72 children, ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. The center has four rooms for the varying ages of the children, and outdoor play areas equipped with slides, sand, toys and climbing contraptions.

Bodaken said the company has been working to open a center for 2 1/2 years and selected Fountain Valley because an estimated 3,000 employees work within five miles of the center.

FHP’s corporate headquarters, a hospital and medical offices are in Fountain Valley. There are also FHP medical facilities and offices in Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach.

“The location made a lot of sense because we have so many employees that are able to use the facility,” Bodaken said.