Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    I've been told John Murphy in Employee Relations in Concord would
    be a good start.
    
    			
    

    I hope this is for real!
    
    ON a similar note, this little article was in "Masscitizen", which
    is published by the massachusetts Public Interest Research Group:
    
    Improving Massachusetts Child Care
    New Law Would Link Child Care with Development
    
    A groundbreaking bill that would help ease the Massachusetts child
    care crisis was approved by the Legislature's Health and Human Services
    Committee on June 25.  MASSPIRG, along with chief legislative sponsors
    Rep. Saundra Graham (Cambridge) and Sen. John Oliver (Amherst),
    is spearheading the effort to pass the Child Care Linkage Bill
    (H.5851).
    This measure would require developers of large commercial and
    industrial properties to construct an on- or near-site child care
    center for employees at the development, or pay a feee to a special
    child care fund.
    
    According to Rep. Graham, "The lack of affordable, quality child
    care services has reached crisis proportions throughout the state."
    She cited a Dukakis administration report which concluded that only
    one third of all parents in Massachusetts are able to fibnd licensed
    child care at a price they can afford.  (Full-time infant care in
    Boston, for example, can cost up to $180 a week.)
    
    Sen. Oliver noted that new development leads to new employment.
    "That's clearly a boon for workers," he stated, "but drawing more
    parents into the labor force places even more of a burden on child
    care services,  The Linkage Bill would require developers to help
    meet the new demand for child care services."
    
    The bill is based on a San Francisco ordinance.  If passed here,
    it would be the first statewide linkage law in the country.  Supporters
    of the measure include Lt. Governor Evelyn Murphy, the state Office
    for Children, and a diverse coalition of child care, labor, and
    women's groups.  The measure is now in the House Ways and Means
    Committee.
    
    The Child Care Linkage Colation is waging a campaign to release
    the bill from the House Ways and Means Committee.  MASSPIRG encourages
    members to write a letter to Rep. Richard Voke (Chelsea), Chair
    of the Committee, asking him to actively support and quickly release
    the measure (H.5851).  Write:
    
    Chairman Richard Voke
    House Ways and Means Committee
    State House Room 243
    Boston, MA  02133

	I know I have talked about Child Care Resource and Referral
	Centers a number of times.  Sometimes I get the feeling no
	one believes me, but here I go again.

	Child Care Resource and Referral Centers are non-profit companies
	the state and the United Way contracted with to be the database and
	assistance/instruction givers for family day care providers and
	day care centers.  The hope is that these CCRR's will eventually
	be totally funded by the private sector, like by Digital, so that
	when someone needs day care, they can refer to the CCRR and access
	the data base to find a good match in terms of location, ages,
	price, etc. without having to resort to ads in the paper, etc.

	The part-time job that was being referred to (I have talked to
	Laurie Margolis who works for John Murphy), is to be the contact
	with CCRR's.

	I don't believe any of this has to do with child care centers.

	By the way, although this belongs in another note, I was told
	that all the benefits I  have been trying to get for part-timers
	will come sometime in the next 2 years (course it doesn't do me
	much good now).

					Eileen Samberg

	correction on name -- The person in coporate employee relations
	is Laurie Margolies.

					Eileen

    
    The last I heard about this was from Health Services.  What DEC
    is setting up is a referral service for those employees needing
    child care.
    
    According to the nurse who will be handling it for this facility,
    the plan was to begin sometime in the next month or so.  My 
    understanding is that an application of some type is to be completed
    to determine what your exact needs are. Then, the person who will be
    responsible for program in your facility provides you names to contact
    for child care.
    
    For further information, I suggest you ask your Health Services
    Department.
    
   
    contactchild care 

    I have information about this, but haven't had time to type it in.
    Am on phone with a customer now, so don't have time yet - unless
    he keeps getting compilation errors.  :-)
    
                Carol

    Also, the state Office for Children has lists of daycare centers
    in various of the state.  There is a service which has been showing
    ads on TV lately which says it can answer your questions about where
    to find daycare and such like, but the daycare centers have to pay
    to be listed in their referral service, so I'm not sure what kind
    of quality is assured.
    
    One of the best ways to find quality daycare centers (as my mother
    says, and she runs one) is to find the daycare center in your area
    with the longest waiting list.  And get on it, ASAP.  (yes, waiting
    lists can have up to a 6 month or 1 year backlog, so get there early!)
    
    Maybe we here in womannotes could start our own referral list or
    something...or does that break the "no advertising or mentioning
    names here in notes" policy?
    
    -Jody
    

    No problem with doing a referral list here.  The only problem would
    be an "anti-referral" list if it had "So-and-so's a creep"-type
    notes.  It's okay to say positive things about people, and it's
    okay to report negative personal experiences in a factual light.
    
    						in Sisterhood,
    						=maggie

	The Office for Children no longer gives out lists.  You must contact
	the Child Care Resource and Referral Center for your area.  CCRR
	are non-profit companies contracted by United Way, the state, and
	private employees to maintain a referral data base.  The service
	is FREE.

					Eileen