Private agency to run formerly public child-care centers

Angelique Flores

Two local child development centers previously run by the county were

taken over Monday by a private, nonprofit agency.

The Orange County Department of Education announced in October that it

would discontinue operating 13 child-care centers, including Oak View

Child Development Center in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley Child

Development Center. Both closed Friday but reopened two days later.

With only a weekend for transition, Continuing Development Inc. took

over the Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley sites along with eight

others.

The county Department of Education closed the centers last week

because of funding shortages over the last five years that resulted in a

$475,000 deficit last year. If the centers had remained open, the

shortfall was projected to reach $1 million.

The reopening of the centers this week under the private agency went

smoothly, said Wendi Mahaney, project coordinator. The only mishap was

the late delivery of milk.

The two centers, which serve low-income families, will continue to

provide the same services offered by the county.

“We want to serve the children of Orange County,” Mahaney said.

The Oak View center has a state preschool program with before- and

after-school care and a full child development program from 6:30 a.m. to

5:30 p.m. weekdays.

The Huntington Beach facility serves children 3 years old to third

grade, and Fountain Valley serves children from infants to kindergarten.

The major changes for the families are a new curriculum and a new set

of teachers, many whom were not rehired or left because of the cut in

pay.

“A lot of the teachers who were hired were making $20 an hour. They’re

now making $12 an hour,” said Angela Lucero, former site supervisor at

the Fountain Valley Child Development Center.

Of the remaining staff members, many stayed because they needed the

income through this month but plan to move on, Lucero said.

“Since September, it’s been difficult to come to work,” she said.

“Some of the staff has been here for 25 years.”

Lucero, who had been with the center for eight years, was rehired at

another location but chose to take a job with another private agency.

Some children even left because of the teachers’ departures.

With a capacity of 116, the Oak View site’s enrollment dropped to 47.

The Fountain Valley site, which can hold 99, saw the same decrease,

leaving 65 children to be cared for. Families who couldn’t renew their

contract because of the closure are expected to return, Mahaney said.

For many parents, “this is the staff that they’ve been used to coming

to for three years, and they’re not going to be here anymore,” Lucero

said. The families “are not going to see the familiar faces.”

Some parents are concerned about the continuity of the program and how

their children will adjust, Lucero said.

“They didn’t feel good about another agency coming in,” she said.

Mahaney agreed that the remaining parents were nervous Monday morning

and said she expects them to keep a close eye on the new staff.

Officials at each center met with the parents before the takeover.

Continuing Development Inc. will send surveys to the parents for

evaluation.

Mahaney said she is confident the enrollment will increase and plans

to provide a high-quality education for the children.