Child care center nearly empty

Andrew Wainer

Golden West College is opening its Infant/Toddler Care Center to the

public just 5 weeks after it was opened as a students-only venue.

Director Sandy Lutz said the center is inviting the public to register

because low student use left the 28 child-capacity center virtually

empty.

“As we got going along we found we didn’t have enough infants and

toddlers to fill the center,” Lutz said. The center now has nine children

registered, leaving 19 vacancies.

Lutz said the center was created to assist the children of students on

welfare with their toddlers while their parents attended classes.

The bulk of the funding for the center was provided by the Cal/WORKS

state welfare program. Cal/WORKS students were offered free registration

for their children, but students have failed to respond in spite of the

incentives.

“We have a lot of Cal/WORKS students and we thought they would fill the

center,” Lutz said. “But to be honest I don’t know why student use has

been so low.”

The center features one classroom for infants and one for toddlers. Both

are equipped with laundry facilities, miniature tables and chairs, toys

and an outdoor play area. Other amenities include cribs, sleeping mats,

and equipment for preparing bottles and meals.

Public registration opened Sept. 27 at a $190 per week or $760 a month.

The center is open from 7:45 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday

and from 7:45 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Friday.

Parents can register their children at 895-8127.