Lagomarsino Visits Inspiration for Child-Care Bill

Rep. Robert J. Lagomarsino paid homage Thursday to an innovative child-care center in Ventura that has inspired a small part of the nation’s developing child-care policy.

But the Ventura Republican also took the occasion to say that he may eventually vote against a child-care bill he helped write because of its overall cost.

At a press conference in Ventura, Lagomarsino thanked Anita Garaway, child-care coordinator for Patagonia’s employees, for helping him author a section of a national child-care bill that passed the House of Representatives last month.

His section, co-authored by Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.), would provide $75 million a year to improve the quality of day care by paying model day-care centers to help smaller, less-established centers.

“If you can magnify the effectiveness of a center like this,” Lagomarsino said, “then the child-care bucks would go a lot farther.”

Patagonia, the manufacturer of outdoor and sports clothing, has won considerable attention for offering discount child care since 1984 to its employees through the Great Pacific Child Development Center.

Last year, Working Mother magazine listed Patagonia and its parent company, Lost Arrow Corp., as one of the top 16 most desirable places to work.

The inspiration for Lagomarsino’s bill came in 1988 when Lagomarsino accompanied Johnson on a tour of the child-care center for 85 children, ranging in age from 8 weeks to 12 years.

“She was impressed by what she saw,” Garaway said. “We compared what we knew to what she was seeing in Connecticut and one thing led to another. . . .” Garaway ended up spending weeks on the phone with Lagomarsino’s staff and ultimately flying to Washington to help his staff draft separate legislation.

Later, Lagomarsino’s bill was incorporated into the more comprehensive legislation that passed the House on March 29.

Linking Garaway and Johnson in 1988 proved to be a political blessing for Lagomarsino during his tough reelection campaign against a popular challenger, state Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara).

Initially, Johnson had come to Ventura County on a short campaign swing to help her Republican colleague. But the political marriage that spawned the child-care legislation added an extra boost to Lagomarsino’s reelection efforts by robbing Hart of one of his issues. Hart has been a vocal leader on child-care issues in the state Legislature.

On Thursday, Lagomarsino said that even though he authored part of the national child-care legislation, he would be unable to vote for its final passage unless Congress reduces its overall price tag.

The House bill, which directs most of its benefits to low-income working parents, would cost $27.5 billion over five years. Among other things, it would expand tax credits for parents with children in day care, enlarge grants for child-care centers, set standards for child-care centers and create a new school-based program before and after classes for “latch-key” children.

The Senate has approved a similar measure and a committee of lawmakers from both chambers are expected to meet soon to iron out the differences in the two versions.

But President Bush has threatened to veto any legislation unless Congress dramatically reduces its cost. Lagomarsino indicated that he is not willing to cross the president, the leader of his party, even though he has a personal stake in the bill.

Lagomarsino’s provision would establish 10 regional centers to spread their knowledge and experience to neighboring child-care centers. Although the Great Pacific Child Development Center inspired the idea, it would have to compete with others for the limited grant money to become a regional center.