STLCC Meramec and Forest park close their doors to the child care center
Collin Reischman
– Managing Editor –
At approximately 9:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19, the STLCC board of trustees voted 4-2 in favor of closing the child care centers at both the Meramec and Forest Park campuses, effective July 1, 2010.
“We need to ask ourselves, ‘Is it the responsibility of the community college to provide day care service?’” said Robert Nelson, board of trustees member.
Nelson, who voted in favor of closing the child care centers, addressed the capacity audience of more than 70, at the Cosand Center.
Joann Ordinachev, Denise Chachere, Melissa Hattman, and Robert Nelson all voted in favor of closing the centers, while Libby Fitzgerald and Margo McNeil voted to keep them open.
The board decided at the beginning of the meeting to hear all those who had signed up to speak on behalf of the child care centers. More than 25 student parents, teachers, and child care center employees took the floor to ask the board to reconsider the resolution to close the centers.
When the meeting began, supporters of the child care centers were given time to address the board before Carla Chance, vice chancellor of Finance and Business Services, presented the administrations resolution on closing the Child Care Center.
While Chance stated that she “would not invest the college’s money in [Child Care Center] facilities because of their condition,” she also said there was “no immediate health or inspection risk.”
Although both the Forest Park and Meramec facilities would soon be in need of repairs, according to Chance.
Nelson told the audience that there were other alternatives for finding their children daycare.
“I’ve done some checking in the area around Forest Park to see if there are any comparable daycare centers near the campus. I’ve found one on Macklind Ave. and asked the owner what he would charge. The prices were similar. Now I can’t speak to the quality of those places, but there are options,” said Nelson.
However, some board members said they did not feel this was an adequate defense.
“I’d like to remind my college (Nelson) that we aren’t here to discuss daycare in the area. We are here to discuss our’s,” said Libby Fitzgerald, board member. “What is the point of closing them if they can become financially independent? We’re looking good. [The centers] are not an emergency, they can wait. We can find a solution to this,” said Fitzgerald.
Charles Quincy Troupe, alderman in the 1st ward of the city of St. Louis, was also in attendance to advocate for the center.
“I think that [closing the centers] is irresponsible, immoral and insensitive. I think it’s wrong that they could sit here and allow Chancellor Harris to deny [parents] this service,” said Troupe.
Troupe sent a letter to the board of trustees demanding that they provide documentation to the board of alderman concerning all child care centers at STLCC. Among the information requested was budget information, racial and ethnic composition, and cost per child of running the program.
The letter concludes by saying that the alderman shall “remember this matter” when tax propositions related to STLCC are brought up, and when board of trustee members are up for re-election.
Donna Swanson, while addressing the board, said “I have three questions.: Why? Why? Why?”
