A day care consortium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - how one community helped working parents

Business Horizons, Sept-Oct, 1993 by Tom Ecker

From the beginning, the organizing partners agreed that each would use its unique expertise to manage the day-care centers. St. Luke's would develop all health policies and health education, prepare and deliver meals, develop all information and communication materials, and oversee the accounting function. The school district would provide the facilities, hire the director and staff for each site, administer personnel policies, and provide the purchasing function for the centers. Together the two partners agreed to work with the day-care directors to develop and administer curriculum and policies. A parent advisory council, made up of two parents from each participating company, was formed at each site to provide organizational input and parental involvement. "The development of the centers was based on clearly identified needs," Wrzeski adds. "The services provided complement the mission of both St. Luke's Hospital and the Cedar Rapids School District to meet the health and educational needs of the community."

Five Seasons continues to be a nonprofit, self-supporting operation. "It has to be," Wrzeski stresses, "since we are not able to use any school district or hospital funds. The various funding streams, together with the fee structure revenue, must cover all operating expenses."

The Five Seasons Day Care partnership has been successful for the following reasons:

1. The partners have an ongoing commitment to collaborate in all planning and decision making.

2. Because of their professional orientation, the partners seek quality in all of their programming and staff development activities.

3. Both partners are able to access their unique resources, which complement each other.

4. The school district is viewed as a highly desirable employer, which allows the day-care program to attract and retain exceptionally qualified staff members.

5. The use of existing school facilities has eliminated construction costs and kept renovation costs at a minimum.

6. Parental involvement is continually solicited to improve current services and plan new ones. In addition, there is a parent education component that includes parent nights and other activities designed to enhance parents' knowledge and skills.

7. Besides the fees charged for day-care services, the program has tapped a variety of funding sources, including private corporate contributions, grants from the Iowa Department of Economic Development and the Iowa Department of Human Services, and child food rebates and at-risk funding from the Iowa Department of Education.

Future expansion of the program will include moving the original Five Seasons Center from Arthur Elementary School to Garfield Elementary School. This will provide additional space for the preschoolers, plus space for infant care. Before and after-school day care will be continued at the Arthur site and will also be included at Garfield. Another expansion effort will include the establishment of a day-care center at Jackson Elementary School, to be reopened in fall 1993. The current fee structure is shown in the Table.