Senate OKs Day-Care Plan for Van Nuys Civic Center

A bill that would earmark $600,000 to convert a county-owned building into a long-sought day-care center for children of government workers at the Van Nuys Civic Center was approved by the Senate on Friday.

State Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Tarzana), who introduced the measure, told his colleagues: “There is a desperate need for child-care space” in Van Nuys for the offspring of local, state and federal workers.

State law mandates that child care is to be provided at all new state office buildings, he said.

The Robbins measure was approved by a 27-6 margin--the bare two-thirds minimum necessary for passage in the 40-member upper house. The bill now goes to the Assembly.

The proposal, however, faces an uncertain future.

Gov. George Deukmejian last year vetoed an $800,000 appropriation for the day-care project because it had been inserted by the Legislature into his budget without going through the normal budget review.

Also, Deukmejian’s financial advisers oppose the Robbins bill, saying there may be a less costly alternative to renovating a Los Angeles County building, according to a Senate analysis of the proposal.

The day-care center has been under discussion for at least three years. The city and county of Los Angeles, and the state and federal government have been seeking to develop a facility to care for up to 75 children of government employees in the area. The city and federal governments would be required to contribute to the operation of the center.

A state-sponsored study of preschool day-care needs among government workers released last spring showed there are enough people who need child care to justify the proposed facility. However, the study cautioned that the costs would have to be competitive with those at private facilities-- between $400 and $600 a month for infant or toddler care.

After Los Angeles County officials indicated they would donate a former health center on Sylvan Street for day care, Robbins last year introduced the measure. It provides funds for remodeling, asbestos removal, fencing, roof repair and other renovation at the county building. The money could not be spent unless the county agreed to use its building for day care for at least seven years.

But during Friday’s debate, several legislators, including state Sen. Robert Presley (D-Riverside), questioned whether the state should single out the San Fernando Valley for day-care services when similar facilities are needed elsewhere.

In response, Robbins said that when the Van Nuys State Office Building was under construction in the mid-1980s state officials realized there would not be enough space for a child-care facility. He said they agreed to build an annex that would include such a center but later reversed themselves because of the cost.

As a result, Robbins said, his bill “merely provides the same level of child-care services in Van Nuys as at other state office buildings around the state.”

After listening to Robbins, Presley acknowledged that Robbins’ legislation is “consistent with state policy” of providing day-care centers at new state buildings.