Santa Monica to Reimburse City Employees for Child Care

The city of Santa Monica will begin reimbursing employees later this month for child care as the first part of a program approved by the City Council last week.

The program, considered an employee benefit, is aimed at reducing absenteeism and helping the city recruit workers, according Vivian Rothstein, a spokeswoman for the Recreation and Parks Department.

She said the city lost $159,000 last year because employees used sick leave to care for their children. The city estimates that the program will save $250,000 annually because of reduced employee absenteeism and increased productivity.

The city will pay for the program with general funds, officials said. Rothstein estimated that the three-phase plan will cost the city about $111,000.

In the first phase, the city will reimburse workers for child care expenses up to $5,000 annually. According to a city-sponsored survey, Santa Monica municipal workers spend an average of $75 to $80 a week to care for one child.

A “sick care room” for children with minor illnesses will be established during the second phase. Medical treatment as well as day care will be provided for an hourly or daily fee, city officials said. The facilities will be open to residents.

In the final phase, the city will contract with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District or a local organization that provides day-care facilities for infants and preschool children, Rothstein said.

More than half of the 851 city employees who responded to a survey last April expressed interest in a child-care program. Nearly two-thirds of those who used child care services said they were dissatisfied with them, according to the survey.

The Santa Monica child care program would be the first such service for city employees on the Westside.